Loke eyes cargo business from Middle Eastern ports affected by war
2026-03-16 - 11:44
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said he has directed all ports to study the impact of rising fuel prices and take appropriate measures to optimise costs without affecting service levels to customers. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s ports should move to attract more international cargo that would normally pass through Middle Eastern ports affected by the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook. Iranian forces have attacked several ships in the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing war, effectively blocking the channel between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of global oil supply passes. Speaking at an event in Port Klang today, Loke noted that disruptions in sea transport through the Strait of Hormuz has affected global supply chains, dented international trade, and led to a spike in oil prices. “The government has announced several cost-saving measures, including reducing fuel usage and postponing non-essential expenditures,” he said in his speech. “I have also directed all ports to study the impact of rising fuel prices and take appropriate measures, improving equipment and operational efficiency to optimise costs without affecting service levels for customers. “In this context, our national ports should also seize the opportunity to attract cargo that normally passes through ports such as Jebel Ali (Dubai), Khalifa (Abu Dhabi), Salalah Bay (Oman) and Muscat (Oman).” The Iranian government issued an evacuation warning for three major ports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last Saturday after accusing the country of allowing the US to use its facilities to conduct an airstrike on Kharg Island, the island from which the vast majority of Iran’s oil exports are dispatched. This warning was issued for Jebel Ali, Khalifa and Fujairah, reported Iran’s Fars news agency. Reuters today reported that oil loading operations have been suspended at the UAE’s Fujairah port after a drone attack sparked a fire in the emirate’s petroleum industrial zone.