Future opportunities for port city development: A reciprocal evaluation for competitive advantage for Malaysian seaports

Abstract

The seaport is a crucial feature of economic progress since it facilitates commerce, provides additional benefits to a port and city and enables domestic and international companies to expand their openings in the market. One of Malaysia’s least urbanised areas is the East Coast Region (ECR) of the Peninsular, which is also experiencing several development challenges. For instance, many inhabitants are poor or unemployed, while many households suffer from a low income. The region also is underdeveloped in logistical and transportation terms, as well as in its infrastructure and related facilities. This study presents an analysis of how the ‘port city’ has been defined, the ways that ports and cities exist symbiotically, and the principal influences over the way port cities develop. This study employed semi-structured interviews with 14 respondents, the majority of whom possessed considerable knowledge and experience in the related field. The result shows that eight factors influence port city development, such as facilities and infrastructure; relationships; port city planning; port performance and competition; green environment and quality of life; population growth; port city attractions and benchmarking. In addition, the port-city reciprocation needs to be strengthened to boost economic growth in the ECR of Peninsular Malaysia.