KOTA SAMARAHAN, May 9 — The process of handing over Bintulu Port to the Sarawak State Government is expected to be completed within the next few months after all key issues have been finalised, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said a final meeting with Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas will be held soon to finalise the matters.

“Currently, the final agreement is being finalised, as legal and pricing issues have already been resolved.

“As I announced earlier, the federal and the state governments have reached a consensus on the final cost of the handover,” he told a press conference after launching a new route under the BAS.MY Kuching Stage Bus Service Transformation Programme here today.

He said the draft final agreement has been completed and is now awaiting Cabinet approval before the official handover can take place, adding that the process has taken time as the relevant act on the dissolution of the Bintulu Port Authority was passed about two years ago.

He said the enforcement of the authority’s dissolution and the official handover to the state government remain subject to the signing of the final agreement.

The Federal Government and the Sarawak State Government had, in principle, agreed on a value of RM1.8 billion for the state’s acquisition of Bintulu Port.

Meanwhile, Loke said the Ministry of Economy has approved a RM445 million project to upgrade the Miri Airport building under Rolling Plan 1 (RP1) of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), last month.

He said the upgrading works are expected to begin this year following approval of the cost based on the value assessment review session held on March 17.

“The expansion of Miri Airport is important as it is the second busiest airport in Sarawak after Kuching International Airport. Besides being a key domestic airport, it also serves as a major hub for Rural Air Services (RAS) operated by AirBorneo,” he said.

He said the service plays a crucial role in connecting Sarawak’s interior areas with major towns and improving air transport accessibility for rural communities. — Bernama