Anwar, Abang Johari witness Bintulu Port handover to Sarawak

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg witness the symbolic handover of Bintulu Port from the Federal Government to the Sarawak government in Kuching on September 16, 2026. — Bernama pic

First Published: Thursday, 17 Sep 2026 9:00 AM MYT

KUCHING, Sept 17 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday witnessed the official handover of Bintulu Port to the Sarawak state government from the federal government, marking a new chapter in the management of the strategic port.

The handover was particularly significant as it took place as Sarawak hosted the national-level Malaysia Day 2026 celebrations yesterday.

At the handover ceremony held at the Kuching International Airport, Transport Minister Anthony Loke represented the federal government, while Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas represented the state government.

According to a statement by the Sarawak Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development, the handover involved four key documents, namely the Ports (Privatisation) (Amendment of Schedule) Order 2026 and the Bintulu Port Authority (Dissolution) (Vesting Date) Order 2026. Also handed over were documents relating to the determination of the effective date of the Declaration of an Area in the District of Bintulu to be a Federal Port (Repeal) Act 2024 [Act 858] and the Bintulu Port Authority (Dissolution) Act 2024 [Act 859].

“With the coming into force of Act 858 and Act 859 on September 1, Bintulu Port officially changed its status from a federal port to a state port under the jurisdiction of the Sarawak government,” the statement said.

The transition also saw the dissolution of the Bintulu Port Authority (LPB), with the port authority functions taken over by the Bintulu Port Authority (Sarawak), a state statutory body established under the Port Authorities Ordinance 1961.

The statement said that effective September 1, 2026, all assets, rights, interests and obligations of LPB were transferred and vested in the Sarawak government.

The takeover of Bintulu Port took about three years, beginning with Abang Johari’s announcement of the takeover intention on January 30, 2023, before the proposal was approved by the Sarawak Cabinet in February that year. The Prime Minister also announced the agreement to hand over Bintulu Port when tabling Budget 2024 in parliament on October 13, 2023.

The federal and state governments subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding on March 22, 2024, before the legislative process was finalised with the passage of Act 858 and Act 859 by the Dewan Rakyat in July 2024.

On February 4, the federal and Sarawak governments reached an agreement on the takeover value of LPB amounting to RM1.8 billion. A “completion agreement” was subsequently signed on June 21, 2026, followed by a cheque handover ceremony from the Sarawak Government to the federal government in Bintulu. — Bernama