KUCHING: A railway linking Tanjung Manis in Sarikei and Similajau in Bintulu is currently being discussed as part of Sarawak’s plan to develop the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).
CROSSING BORDERS: A railway linking Tanjung Manis and Similajau will improve accessibility within the two regions to meet the growing demands and expectations of potential investors of the SCORE project.
According to a research report by AmResearch Sdn Bhd (AmResearch) this new link was aimed at improving accessibility within the two regions to meet the growing demands and expectations of potential investors.
SCORE which covered 70,709 square kilometres was to be developed in three phases over a 22 year period from 2008 until 2030 with a targeted RM334 billion worth of investments according to the research house.
AmResearch predicted cargo movement between Tanjung Manis and Similajau to reach approximately 5 million tonnes annually by 2020.
The research house highlighted to date that SCORE had attracted close to RM30 billion in investments. Should this project be feasible, AmResearch noted that the Tanjung Manis-Similajau rail link would be a further boost to the order book replenishments of Malaysian contractors.
Latest developments validated AmResearch’s earlier convictions that infrastructure works within Tanjung Manis should perk up as the region had been identified as one of the three major growth nodes within SCORE.
Apart from the proposed rail link, the research house noted that the Sarawak government would begin building Universiti Teknologi MARA’s (UiTM) permanent campus in Tanjung Manis by October in addition to a Junior Mara Science college.
There had also been plans to widen the port at Tanjung Manis at an estimated cost or RM350 million, added the research house.
Among its peers, the research house stated that Hock Seng Lee (HSL) with a maintained RM2.00 per share could be a key beneficiary of stronger contract flows in Tanjung Manis.
The group was involved in the initial development of the area which included Tanjung Manis’ integrated deep sea fishing port and airport extension as well as associated land reclamation works.