Key Takeaways
- 11 March 2026: the Cabinet approved development of Port Klang's third terminal at Carey Island, announced by Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
- Delivery: a public-private partnership, following a feasibility study started in 2018 that has been completed.
- Timeline: implemented in phases over close to 20 years, positioned to hold Malaysia's maritime competitiveness over the next 20 to 30 years.
- 18 June 2026: construction can begin once land matters with the Selangor state government are resolved, worked through the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS).
- 26 February 2026: SD Guthrie and MBI Selangor signed an MOU covering feasibility studies over 2,500 to 5,000 acres inside the Carey Island Special Economic Zone. SD Guthrie owns over 28,600 acres, about 80% of the island.
- What this is not: a groundbreaking. Nothing is under construction. The realistic read is a 20-year build-out that reprices surrounding industrial land long before the first berth opens.
What Was Actually Approved
Carey Island has been talked about as a port site for years. In 2026 it stopped being talk.
On 11 March 2026, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the Cabinet had approved the development of the third terminal at Port Klang, on Carey Island. The approval is in-principle, for the project to proceed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, following a feasibility study that began in 2018 and has since been completed. The stated ambition is to turn Port Klang into a mega port capable of handling a very large TEU volume, and to make Malaysia a leading regional maritime hub.
On 16 March 2026, the Selangor state government said it was working to complete the Pulau Carey Port Development Master Plan following the Cabinet decision.
On 18 June 2026, Loke said the development can begin this year once land issues with the Selangor state government are resolved, with details being worked through the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS).
The full build is expected to take close to 20 years, implemented in phases.
What Is Not Confirmed
This is where a lot of marketing gets loose, so the honest version:
- No construction has started. Approval in principle is not a groundbreaking.
- Land matters with the Selangor state government are still being settled. That was the position as of June 2026.
- No published completion date for the first berth. A close-to-20-year phased delivery is what has been stated.
- No published land acquisition or compensation framework affecting third-party owners on the island.
Anyone selling you island land on the promise of cranes next quarter is overselling it. The case that actually holds up is different, and stronger.
The Second Announcement Most Buyers Missed
Three weeks before the Cabinet decision, on 26 February 2026, SD Guthrie Bhd signed an MOU with Menteri Besar Selangor (Inc). The MOU sets the framework for feasibility studies to master plan a minimum of 2,500 acres, with potential to expand to 5,000 acres, described in reporting as a critical component of the Carey Island Port project and sitting within the Carey Island Special Economic Zone.
The ownership fact underneath it matters more than the acreage: SD Guthrie owns over 28,600 acres, roughly 80% of Carey Island, including two palm oil estates, palm oil mills and a biodiesel plant. The MOU is a continuation of its diversification into industrial development, unlocking value from a strategic land bank.
Read those two announcements together and the island's trajectory is no longer speculative. A federally approved port, a state-backed SEZ, and the dominant landowner formally exploring industrial master planning, all inside five weeks.
What It Means for Industrial Land Buyers
1. Supply on this island is structurally tight. When one listed owner controls four fifths of the land bank, land is released on that owner's schedule and at that owner's price. Independently titled, already subdivided plots with an approved layout are the exception here.
2. The repricing happens long before the port opens. Port-adjacent industrial land does not wait for the first berth. It reprices on approvals, master plans and infrastructure commitments, which is exactly the stage this island is at now.
3. Infrastructure timing is the real risk, not the port. The question to ask a seller is not whether the port is coming. It is whether the specific plot has an approved layout, road access, utilities provisioning and a defined handover, because that determines whether you can actually build in the next 24 months.
4. Access matters as much as adjacency. Being on the island is worth little without a road. The committed SKVE interchange is what connects the southern end of the island to the South Klang Valley Expressway and onward to ELITE, KESAS, PLUS and the West Coast Expressway.
Where the Buyable Land Actually Is
Most of Carey Island is not for sale in any practical sense, so the buyable inventory is narrow. On FactoryHub, current options on and around the island include raw larger parcels, existing factories, and one masterplanned park with subdivided plots.
The plots at Pulau Carey are the masterplanned option: roughly 610 acres across three phases, with 24 medium industrial plots of 2.14 to 2.98 acres currently released on a 67.85-acre parcel, indicative from RM75 psf, 5 km from the committed SKVE interchange and 25 km from Westport.
To see everything else currently listed, browse industrial land for sale in Pulau Carey and, for comparison on the mainland side, factories for sale in Port Klang and industrial land in Banting. If you want the psf numbers side by side, we compared them in Carey Island vs Port Klang vs Banting industrial land price.
The Questions to Ask Before You Buy Island Land
- Is there an approved subdivision layout for this specific plot?
- What is the tenure, and is the title already issued?
- What utilities are provisioned to the plot boundary, and by when?
- What road serves it, and what is the actual route to the SKVE interchange?
- What is the handover milestone in writing, not in the brochure?
- Is the seller the developer, the landowner, or a sub-sale party?
We will go through all six with you on any island plot, including ones we are not the marketing agent for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the Port Klang third terminal at Carey Island been approved?
Yes. The Cabinet approved the development of Port Klang's third terminal at Carey Island on 11 March 2026, announced by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, to proceed under a public-private partnership model following a completed feasibility study that began in 2018.
When will construction of the Carey Island port start?
No start date has been published. As of 18 June 2026 the Transport Minister said construction can begin once land matters with the Selangor state government are resolved, with details worked through the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS).
How long will the Port Klang third terminal take to build?
It is to be implemented in phases over close to 20 years, positioned to maintain Malaysia's maritime competitiveness over the next 20 to 30 years.
Who owns Carey Island?
SD Guthrie owns over 28,600 acres, about 80% of the island, including two palm oil estates, palm oil mills and a biodiesel plant. On 26 February 2026 it signed an MOU with Menteri Besar Selangor (Inc) to explore an integrated development of 2,500 to 5,000 acres within the Carey Island Special Economic Zone.
Is Carey Island a special economic zone?
The SD Guthrie and MBI Selangor MOU covers a proposed development sitting within the Carey Island Special Economic Zone, alongside the planned third terminal for Port Klang.
Should I buy industrial land on Pulau Carey now?
That depends on whether the specific plot can actually be built on within your timeline. The port approval supports the medium-term land value case, but the practical questions are tenure, approved layout, utilities provisioning and handover date. Ask us for those on any plot you are considering.
How much is industrial land on Pulau Carey?
Asking prices vary widely by whether the land is raw or infrastructure-planned. At Pulau Carey, subdivided plots of 2.14 to 2.98 acres are indicative from RM75 psf. Raw larger parcels on the island list lower. We compare the psf ranges across Selangor in our price comparison article.
Talk to us about these plots
These plots are marketed by CID Realtors Sdn Bhd, the industrial agency behind FactoryHub, through Peter Tan (REN 12771) and Jason Low (PEA 1478). Ask us for the plot availability chart, the net price after discount and a site visit.
We co-broke across the whole market, so if this park is not the right fit we will show you the comparable options too. Most enquiries get a reply within a few hours, and complex ones within two working days.