The Digital Port Pass (DPP) is Malaysia’s first institutional-grade, paperless access governance platform engineered for high-security port environments. Maintained by Penang Port Sdn. Bhd. (PPSB) under the regulatory mandate of the Penang Port Commission (PPC), the DPP replaces fragmented manual procedures with a fully integrated digital infrastructure comprising 6 modules—e-Form registration, e-Safety induction, integrated payment, facial biometric authentication, QR-based access and real-time monitoring. The platform was formally unveiled on 16 November 2023 by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transport, marking its federal-level recognition.
Full operational deployment was achieved at 4 Penang Port terminals by 1 June 2024. As of April 2025, 11,352 users had been onboarded, including enforcement agencies and logistics providers. The DPP reduced enrolment time from 6 to 8 hours to under 60 minutes, replacing over 44,000 manual transactions in 2023 alone. These advancements support SDG 9 by modernizing critical port infrastructure through real-time digital systems.
Environmentally, the DPP reduces 18,000 printed forms and 15,600 plastic cards annually, conserving 90 reams of paper, 45,000 liters of water and preventing 750 kilograms of CO₂ emissions—direct contributions to SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and SDG 13 on climate action. A CGSO-led regulatory audit on 20 February 2024 verified full compliance with the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959, ensuring institutional integrity in line with SDG 16.
Economically, the DPP eliminates an average annual cost of ¥13,069,320 (€79,208) spent on physical pass production between 2021 and 2023. Stakeholder onboarding, which includes public agencies and private operators, exemplifies collaborative governance under SDG 17.
Presented at the 57th ASEAN Transport Senior Officials Meeting (11–13 June 2024) and China–Malaysia Port Alliance Forum (20 September 2024), the DPP sets a national benchmark for scalable, secure, and sustainability-aligned port digitalization.