KOTA KINABALU: July 20, 2026 — The average waiting time for ships to dock at the Sapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP) has been reduced to 20.24 hours following the takeover of operations by DP World Sabah, compared to 66 hours previously, reflecting improved operational efficiency at the port.
Deputy Chief Minister III cum Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said the achievement was driven by increased operational productivity and better vessel berthing planning after DP World Sabah assumed management of SBCP in September 2024.
He said this in response to a question from Datuk Wong Hong Jun (Tanjung Aru) during the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
According to Ewon, the simultaneous operation of four quay cranes for the first time enabled productivity to be enhanced, reducing the average ship waiting time from 66 hours (December 2023 – September 2024) to just 20.24 hours (October 2024 – July 2025).
However, he acknowledged that waiting times have increased again recently due to several operational constraints, including container yard utilisation reaching 101 per cent following a rise in container throughput, as well as an approximate 10 per cent reduction in storage space to make way for the SBCP expansion project and terminal gate upgrade works.
Ewon said it is currently too early to conduct an official audit of DP World Sabah’s performance as the SBCP expansion project has yet to be fully completed and the port continues to face capacity constraints.
“Given that the SBCP expansion project is not yet complete and taking into account the port’s current limited capacity, it is premature and inappropriate to conduct any performance review or official audit of DP World Sabah’s management,” he said.
He said the Sabah Ports Authority (LPPS) will continue to monitor the port operator’s performance on an ongoing basis to ensure that SBCP achieves its goals as a transhipment hub and a major trading hub in the BIMP-EAGA and Intra-ASEAN region.
