THE OPENING OF MALAYSIA CHINA KUANTAN INDUSTRIAL PARK ATTRACTS MAIN CHINA SHIPPING LINERS TO KUANTAN PORT

The purpose of this paper is to determine the attractiveness of Kuantan Port as a hub port due to the opening of Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) using mathematical algorithms. The distance between both ports of origin and port of destination is one of the factors that will be evaluated in determining the relevance of selecting a hub port. The reason is that the shorter the route, the higher cost savings can be obtained. It is capable of helping China shipping liners in making decisions on which of Malaysia s ports can accommodate their vessels for cargoes loading and discharging processes. The result shows that Kuantan Port is the best port to be selected in terms of high-cost saving compared to other hub ports in Malaysia.