Suria Capital Holdings Bhd managing director Ng Kiat Min said the company’s long-term plan was for the port to be turned into a dedicated cruise terminal in about 10 years time.

She said Suria Capital would be building another cargo port for general cargo operations to be moved there.

“Kota Kinabalu port is still very much a cargo port at the moment but we will service cruise ships that make port calls here,” she said, according to The Borneo Post.

Ng said Kota Kinabalu was an important port for cruise ships in East Malaysia, receiving about 12 to 14 of such vessels every year. She added that this figure could double over the next decade.

“By that time we will also have our commercial tourism-related property development, the Jesselton Waterfront City plan, so everything will be at the doorstep of cruise ship passengers.

“It’s not just about the port, we are redeveloping the whole port into a tourism hub and while construction is in progress, we will still receive cruise ships that call at the Kota Kinabalu port.”

Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suria Capital and manages the operations of all ports in Sabah.