KL adds port to U.S. security plan

KL adds port to U.S. security plan

MALAYSIA: Malaysia, which has agreed to let U.S. officials check U.S.-bound container cargo at its main port, will add the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) bordering Singapore to the scheme, officials said on Wednesday.

Abdul Halil Abdul Mutalib, director general of the Royal Malaysian Customs, said the move to include the PTP in the Container Security Initiative (CSI) would help exporters speed shipments.

"If we didn't, the delay would be worse," Abdul Halil told a news conference.

The CSI was launched by the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

A U.S. team has already begun working with its Malaysian counterparts at Port Klang, about 40 km west of Kuala Lumpur, to check container ships for any terrorist risks.

The development follows closely on Malaysia's involvement in a nuclear proliferation scandal centered on Pakistan's top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan. -- Reuters