KUALA LUMPUR: Northport (Malaysia) Bhd has partnered with Maldives Ports Ltd (MPL) to establish a sister port relationship in forging strategic cooperation in business development, Halal Silk Route, training, secondment of staff and equipment maintenance.

Under the sister port relationship, both ports are expected to share their respective range of experience, capabilities, resources, knowledge and know-how in the fields of port management.

In a statement today, both parties said they had signed a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) to cooperate in facilitating trade between both ports especially in promoting Halal trade to cater for the growing demand for Halal certified products.

The SCA was signed by Northport chief executive officer Datuk Azman Shah Mohd Yusof and MPL chief executive officer Shahid Ali at a virtual signing ceremony on November 9.

Azman said there were opportunities in growing the cargo volumes of both ports where Maldives and Port Klang can be the gateway to trade between our respective continents.

"The current pandemic has not only changed the way the world works and created new norms that we have to follow but it has created possibilities and opportunities for us to evolve and grow.

"I am pleased that today, we will gain a partner that we can work with and collaborate strategically, for the future growth of both ports, and both our countries," he added.

The collaboration will also allow human capital development via knowledge and skills sharing through Northport International Centre of Excellence (NICE).

NICE is a centre that provides port training programs to fulfill technical training needs of Northport's employees, contractors and port users.

The other area of collaboration included the sharing of technical support on equipment maintenance with the transfer of knowledge and expertise through the existing pool of highly skilled engineers and technicians.

Shahid said the agreement was instrumental in setting up MPL in the right direction, while identifying common areas of collaboration, knowledge transfer across its respective business environments and cultures.

"Hopefully this partnership provides enlightenment to our organisations," he added.

MPL was incorporated on July 31, 2008 as a 100 per cent government-owned company under the Companies Act of Maldives.

Its key functions are to ensure efficient management and operation of government-owned ports and port facilities in the Maldives.

MPL operates the Port of Malé, comprising of an Inner Harbour, used by leisure craft, the fishing industry and coastal trade, and an Outer Harbour which caters for larger vessels.

It also operates several subsidiary regional ports including Hithadhoo Port Ltd, Kulhudhuhffushi Port Ltd and Maamigilli International Port.