SD Guthrie, MBINS To Develop Port Dickson Free Zone
SEREMBAN, June 24 (Bernama) -- SD Guthrie Bhd (SD Guthrie) and Menteri Besar Incorporated Negeri Sembilan (MBINS) will develop the Port Dickson Free Zone (PDFZ) in Pasir Panjang, Port Dickson, covering an area of 242.8 hectares (600 acres) with a gross development value (GDV) projected to exceed RM1 billion.
The area is located at Ladang Sengkang, Pasir Panjang, which is owned by SD Guthrie. Infrastructure construction work is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026, subject to the establishment of a joint venture entity and finalisation of the master plan, expected in the first quarter of 2026.
The Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, said the PDFZ will be built opposite the Midport Smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) Container Port site in Port Dickson and will serve as a key catalyst for the growth of Midport. He said the development of this industrial zone includes the construction of facilities such as warehousing areas, high-tech factories, and other supporting infrastructure, subject to approval from relevant authorities.
“This initiative has the potential to boost further the state’s industrial sector as well as strengthen the economic and investment ecosystem in the region. The integration between Midport and PDFZ will maximise synergy in logistics operations, light processing, and manufacturing sectors.
“This will position Midport as the preferred port with a smooth supply chain system for related industries. The existence of PDFZ also plays a role in attracting strategic investments from major global industrial companies and optimising the use of container transportation and maritime services,” he said during his speech at the signing ceremony of the land sale agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MBINS and SD Guthrie here today.
Also present was SD Guthrie group managing director, Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha.
Meanwhile, Aminuddin explained that the initial focus of the project is on transferring basic infrastructure land and promotion to investors, while in the long term, PDFZ will become a high-tech industrial hub supporting the growth of Midport.
“According to the plan, the physical construction of Midport will commence soon and is expected to take several years before becoming fully operational. The target is for the port to operate as early as 2027, and the first phase of PDFZ will also be completed by then to support port operations,” he said, adding that by 2035, Port Dickson has the potential to emerge as a ‘New Port City’, famous domestically and internationally.
Aminuddin said the state government targets a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 8.1 per cent annually until 2045, and under the Malaysia Vision Valley 2.0 (MVV 2.0) framework, the Midport and PDFZ projects are among the strategic drivers towards achieving that target.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Helmy said the PDFZ project is a strategic and visionary initiative aligned with the nation’s development aspirations and sustainable progress agenda, and can strengthen Midport’s function through the provision of industrial infrastructure. He said the collaboration with MBINS further strengthens SD Guthrie’s presence in the industrial development landscape of Negeri Sembilan.
“The approach of combining land commercialisation with strategic partnerships allows us to realise asset value immediately while creating new potential recurring income streams for the company. This is a model that can be expanded, and we intend to apply it in efforts to leverage our high-potential strategic land reserves across the country. We are also proud to contribute to this development effort, which is expected to provide various socio-economic benefits to the people,” he said.
-- BERNAMA