BATU KAWAN: The 12 Waves, PKT Logistics’ integrated logistic hub in the north, is the longest warehouse in the country and the biggest single-storey warehouse in Malaysia.

On Saturday, the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) gave recognition to the 12 Waves, which is 648m long and has a built-up area of 645,640.82sq ft.

MBR chief operating officer Christopher Wong presented the award to PKT Group chairman Datuk Jalilah Baba.

Present to witness the ceremony were Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, PKT chief executive and managing director Datuk Michael Tio and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd executive officer Yutaka Hinooka.

Built at a cost of RM120mil, the warehouse is equipped with solar panels and an advanced security and surveillance system.

The 12 Waves houses a truckers’ lounge, a service area with a food court, a convenience store, shower facilities and a Japanese garden.

Named The Nature Walk, the Japanese garden stretches 750m on the northern perimeter of the warehouse, fronting the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge.

Once ready, the RM3mil garden will open to the public. It will feature a koi pond, a tea house and 118 Tecoma trees.

Meanwhile, Tio said PKT had also rolled out initiatives such as Anak Belajar Ibu Bekerja (Abib) and Penskills as the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes and to respond to the logistics industry’s manpower needs.

Under Abib, PKT hires mothers and housewives from surrounding communities as casual employees at the warehouse.

“Therefore, they need not venture far from home to earn supplementary income while their children attend school.

“These mothers and housewives remain empowered, so they may return to full-time employment when their kids grow up,” said Tio.

Under the Penskills programme, PKT recruits SPM school-leavers who want a career in logistics but cannot afford to further their studies.

“These recruits enter a three-month vocational training prog­ramme, which rotates them between two weeks of training and two weeks of work.

“At the end of the programme, they will earn more than enough to cover the tuition fees of Penskills and also gain full-time employment with PKT,” he said.