Abstract :
Ports play an important role in the economies of countries in Southeast Asia. They are the gateway for imports into these economies and the conduit for its exports. Almost 90 per cent of the imports and exports of the countries in Southeast Asia are transported by sea and handled by their ports. In 2009, 15 of the 20 top containerhandling ports were located in Asia. With the greatly increased volumes in recent decades, ports require a large number of specialist tasks and players. This article examines policies related to the development of ports in two Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia and Singapore, in recent years. The research indicates that both nations have formulated and implemented a number of key policies, such as infrastructure development, privatisation and use of new technologies to develop the port sector and that this measures have enabled their main ports to consolidate their position as leading ports in Southeast Asia.
