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ALOR SETAR, June 4 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan has visited Bukit Kayu Hitam (BKH) Inland Customs Depot (ICD) and the free commercial zone during a recent working visit. In a statement dated June 1, PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd group chief executive and managing director Datuk Seri Dr Michael Tio said the visit marked a significant milestone for the company. It showcased the operational readiness of BKH ICD’s world-class inland port and free commercial zone, which were designed to enhance Malaysia’s logistics and transportation sector. Tio said: “Established as a joint venture on Dec 3, 2019, Bukit Kayu Hitam ICD Sdn Bhd unites two leading entities, One Northern Hub Sdn Bhd, a fully owned subsidiary of PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd, and Northern Gateway Logistics Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Gateway Sdn Bhd. “Strategically positioned adjacent to the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration Customs Quarantine Security Complex, this 50-acre development is located on the North-South Expressway, which is also designated as Asian Highway 2, Malaysia’s key route for the ASEAN Customs Transit System,” he said. The statement said that through the ASEAN Customs Transit System, BKH ICD facilitates seamless duty-free trucking across borders, linking Singapore to Vietnam and onwards to China. The inland port’s phased development comprises four distinct segments. Phase one is the 12.4-acre BKH Inland Port, which features a customs office complex spanning 19,775 square feet (sq ft). Phase two, the BKH Free Commercial Zone (Blackwood Forests), encompasses 9.3 acres and is home to four high-capacity warehouses known as Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter. Collectively, they offer about 200,000 sq ft of storage space. The statement said future phases will introduce parking, fuelling, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, followed by an integrated hub for office space, education, retail, and hospitality known as the Blackwood Complex. Tio said that in 2008, the company had envisioned the establishment of One Northern Hub to ease southern Thai exports via Malaysian ports.“Today (June 1), the launch of BKH ICD and free commercial zone, the first two components of One Northern Hub is to elevate Malaysia’s status to the next ASEAN logistics hub by making cross-border cargo movements seamless, efficient and secure. At the same time, we also aim to bring socioeconomic development to our surrounding communities,” he said. Since breaking ground in early 2022, BKH ICD has achieved several key milestones. Full regulatory approvals were secured in early 2025. It was operational on April 8, 2025. Tio said the free commercial zone was officially launched on June 1, 2025, reinforcing its role as a vital trade enabler. Operational efficiency is a core pillar of BKH ICD’s success, and the facility operates seven days a week from 7 am to 10 pm with a capacity to handle 250,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) annually. “Equipped with advanced stacking slots for dry and refrigerated containers, the port targets a productivity rate exceeding 10 moves per hour. Cutting-edge infrastructure, including flexible entry-exit lanes and a next-generation terminal operating system, ensures smooth logistics management,” Tio said. — BERNAMA

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 3 — A truck and inland clearance depot (ICD) costing RM200 million will be developed as part of Kota Perdana Special Border Economic Zone (SBEZ) in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah. Named as Bukit Kayu Hitam ICD, the 20.2-hectare depot will be developed and managed by a newly formed joint-venture company, Bukit Kayu Hitam ICD Sdn Bhd, a 60:40 partnership between PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd and Northern Gateway Sdn Bhd. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng witnessed the signing of a strategic partnership between Northern Gateway Logistic Centre Sdn Bhd and One Northern Hub Sdn Bhd here today. Northern Gateway Logistic is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern Gateway, which in turn is a wholly-owned entity of Minister of Finance Incorporated, while One Northern Hub is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PKT Logistics Group. Lim said the government was supporting the development by providing RM25 million in 2019 and another RM50 million in 2020 to build external infrastructure like roads and utilities to make the depot a success. He said the project would improve Malaysia and Thailand’s trade as the kingdom is currently Malaysia’s fifth largest trading partner globally with total trade value of RM105.4 billion in 2018. “Approximately 70 per cent of this value is attributed to trade across the land border, with the Bukit Kayu Hitam-Sadao crossing taking centre stage,” Lim said. PKT Logistics Group chairman Datuk Jalilah Baba said the ICD consisted of three phases with the groundbreaking expected in the first half of next year and the development slated for completion in 2022. She said the ICD, linked to the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security complex, would be the integrated logistics hub to cater to an annual throughput of 200,000 containers along the warehouses and cross-dock facilities for cargo consolidation and container stuffing. “With an integrated and sustainable ICD at Bukit Kayu Hitam, we aim to attract more south Thailand’s transshipment cargo through Malaysian ports, by making all cross-border truck processes for shipping lines, forwarders and customs clearance agents as efficient as it can be,” she said. The ICD would be self-sustaining as it would also contain a petrol station and multi-storey tower providing office space, a logistics institute, and recreational facilities to cater to the needs of truckers, she added. — Bernama