Midports Holdings Sdn Bhd a 79%-owned subsidiary of Tanco Holdings Berhad, in collaboration with Negeri Sembilan’s state investment arm, Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan (Incorporated) (MBINS), today marked the official groundbreaking of Midport—Malaysia’s first Smart AI Container Port in Pasir Panjang, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
The groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, alongside YB Tuan Anthony Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia, and YAB Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Aminuddin bin Harun, Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan.
Midport is designed around artificial intelligence from the ground up, integrating automation, smart logistics, and advanced data analytics to place Malaysia alongside leading global smart-port hubs.
Spanning 180 acres within the gazetted Kuala Sungai Linggi Port Limits, the facility will feature a 1.5-kilometre trestle, six berths, and a target capacity of up to approximately 8 million TEU at full build-out. Benefiting from a natural water depth of up to 21 meters, the port can receive the world’s largest container vessels with minimal dredging requirements.
Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, stated during the officiating address:
“Midport represents the exact model of high-impact, technology-driven infrastructure required to secure Malaysia’s position as a primary digital and maritime hub within ASEAN. As a private-sector-driven initiative with coordinated federal and state backing, this project demonstrates how strategic private capital can accelerate our Madani, national economic agenda, driving advanced AI integration and job creation without straining public resources.”
The project resolves a pressing demand-supply imbalance along the Strait of Malacca, which handles 22% of global maritime trade and recorded a record 102,525 vessel transits in 2025. Container demand, along the Strait of Malacca, is projected to outpace capacity by approximately 27 million TEU by 2030, a gap expected to widen to approximately 144 million TEU by 2050. Midport is positioned as a resilient, technology-enabled alternative that complements Malaysia’s existing premier port networks at Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas. The project is private-sector driven from start to finish — with the infrastructure investment at approximately USD850 million, subject to further cost optimisation — and was formally endorsed on 24 April 2025 by the National Physical Planning Council (MPFN) as the principal maritime gateway and a key component, under Parcel E, of Malaysia Vision Valley 2.0 (MVV 2.0), that holds National Strategic Priority Project status. It brings credible international partners to Malaysian shores, with CCCC Dredging as EPC contractor and Ocean Bridge of Hong Kong as terminal operator.
Midport holds all primary regulatory clearances, including Ministry of Transport approval-in-principle and unconditional Marine Department of Malaysia approval. Construction has advanced into active deployment, with a targeted 42-month build period leading to operational readiness between 2029 and 2030. CCCC Dredging has mobilised on-site to conduct site clearing and land levelling, while 4 million tonnes of armour rock have been secured and stockpiled for progressive marine works.
Directly fronting Midport is the Port Dickson Free Zone, a 600-acre industrial park developed by MBINS and Tanco Land, which will house smart warehouses, advanced manufacturing and logistics clusters. With KLIA approximately 60 kilometers away and Negeri Sembilan’s industrial zones within easy reach, the state government today also handed the full planning-approval certificate for Midport to Midports Holdings — a further signal of Negeri Sembilan’s commitment to the project.
