The role of seaports in regional development in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia: An evaluation through an exploratory factor analysis

Seaports are major nodes that boost national trades and spark the growth of the nation. Malaysia’s geographic location between the South China Sea and the Malacca Straits justifies the importance of maritime activities in this region. The South China Sea and the Malacca Straits are the world’s busiest shipping lanes. This is because Strait of Malacca is the shortest shipping route between the Far East and the Indian Ocean. Ships have passed through it for centuries, and trading posts sprang up at an early stage, growing into centres of education, science and art at the same time. Apart from that, Malaysia’s seven major seaports, five mainly used for containers and two for oil and gas, contribute enormously to its development and economic growth (Chen, Jeevan & Cahoon 2016). Almost 75% of the country’s land is exposed to maritime water (Jeevan et al. 2021a). This grants Malaysia the advantage to be a strategic country that is readily available for the development of the maritime industry (Chen et al. 2016).