By Datuk Ts Dr. Hj Ramli Amir, former President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia and Vice-President of CILT International for Southeast Asia
KOTA KINABALU: Congestion at Sapangar Port has now become a critical concern for Sabah’s economy, yet the public still does not know exactly what is going wrong inside the terminal.
The minister has acknowledged that “several contributing factors” and “operational efficiency issues” are disrupting the smooth flow of containers through the port, but these problems have only been described in very general terms.
Without clarity on whether the real bottlenecks lie in gate operations, documentation, depot–port coordination, yard management, equipment utilisation, or manpower, it is impossible for port users and the public to fully understand the situation or to hold the right parties accountable.
This lack of specificity matters because congestion is already affecting supply chains, raising logistics costs and undermining the competitiveness of Sabah’s industries and entrepreneurs.
When issues are labelled only as “operational” without further detail, they risk being treated as abstract management problems rather than concrete failures that can and must be fixed within clear timelines.
At the same time, everyone is aware that these strains are occurring while the Sapangar/ Sapangar Port expansion project – intended to increase capacity from 500,000 TEU to 1.2 million TEU per year – has been delayed, leaving the current facilities and systems struggling to cope with demand.
In this context, the delay in expansion is not merely a background factor but a major structural cause of current congestion.
Day-to-day operational improvements are important and should not be ignored, but they cannot substitute for the additional capacity and improved layout that the expansion project is intended to deliver.
Each month of delay intensifies pressure on existing infrastructure, raises costs for businesses, and weakens Sabah’s position as a competitive logistics and industrial hub.
For these reasons, the government should treat the completion of the expansion project as an absolute priority and take all necessary measures to avoid further delays.
This includes enforcing strict timelines for contractors and agencies, improving coordination among all stakeholders, and reporting progress transparently so the public can track whether milestones are being met.
At the same time, authorities should clearly explain the specific operational issues identified during the minister’s inspection and present concrete short-term actions to ease congestion while construction is underway.
Only with both immediate operational reforms and an unwavering commitment to finishing the expansion can Sapangar Port recover its efficiency and fully support Sabah’s economic aspirations.
