30/11/2025
𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢, 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐫
Source : https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/11/1325554/updated-malaysias-first-duty-free-energy-freeport-maharani-begins
MUAR: Maharani Freeport, the country's first duty-free energy freeport, is set to dominate the world's busiest oil highway today.
It went into full commercial operations moments after its official launch by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, today.
The 3,200-acre (1294.9ha), privately developed deepwater hub aims to draw RM144bil in global investments and support 45,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Straits of Malacca, where one in every five barrels of oil is shipped.
A freeport is a sovereign-designated port zone where goods can enter, be stored or processed, and leave again without paying customs duties or most taxes unless they move into a country's domestic market, making it a magnet for global trade, faster logistics and heavy investment.
Developed by Maharani Energy Gateway Sdn Bhd (MEG) as a one-stop global oil trading and maritime services centre, the national-status project places Malaysia in the heavyweight league of international freeports straddling key energy routes.
MEG executive chairman Datuk Dr Daing A. Malek Daing A. Rahaman said the freeport was already trading oil and offering storage, transshipment, blending, bunkering and ship-to-ship (STS) transfer services, months ahead of mass infrastructure completion.
The ceremony drew over 1,500 delegates, including the Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, diplomats from more than 30 countries, and multinational energy and logistics executives.
At 24 metres deep, Maharani Freeport's natural draft can berth Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), offering an alternative anchorage point for bulk crude movement traditionally dominated by major regional transshipment ports.
Planned add-ons include petrochemical plants, energy data centres, AI-blockchain trading platforms, STS floating storage units and renewable fuel complexes.
Investors registered within the freeport will enjoy zero corporate tax, while oil-related firms may qualify for a 3 per cent corporate tax tier, which is one of the region's lowest.
The integrated masterplan spans three reclaimed islands, combining an energy hub, deep seaport, industrial park and financial hub to lock Malaysia into the global oil value chain for decades.
MUAR: Maharani Freeport, the country’s first duty-free energy freeport, is set to dominate the world’s busiest oil highway today.
