KUCHING: Sarawak is now on the world map in terms of providing health and safety training and courses.
HERE WE COME: Sng (centre) together with (from left) Jill, Kaufman, Campbell and Akit hold a banner announcing the setting up of LSI Regional Office.
Thanks to a leading international association, Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI), for having opened its regional office, LSI Asia Pacific Regional Office here yesterday.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Larry Sng officiated at the event at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
LSI president and chief executive officer Dr James Kaufman, and Global Research and Intelligence Network (Grain) executive director Scott Campbell were also present.
Grain will manage LSI’s Regional Office here.
Sng told reporters later that the office here was the only one outside the United States.
LSI’s headquarters is in Massachusetts.
“The office will attract multinational companies to have safety courses and seminars in the state,” said Sng, adding that the office would not only cater for the state, but also cover the Middle East and Asia.
Sng, who is also Assistant Industrial Development Minister, stressed that the setting up of the office here was timely, particularly with the development of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) that receive investments from several huge international companies that focus on occupational safety and health.
“The office will also help to compliment the rapid development of SCORE,” he said.
According to him, the current total investment in SCORE stands at about RM60 billion.
He added that attracting international associations like LSI to the state was an important step in enhancing the quality of human capital as world leaders in the field of occupational safety and health will be operating from the state.
Over the next few years, the presence of LSI will position the state as the regional leader in occupational safety and health training.
Kaufman said LSI Asia Pacific here will train up to 2,000 people a year.
“We want to see 200 newly trained safety officers in Sarawak alone by June 2010, and we aim to have over 1,800 people flying here to attend up to eight training conferences each year,” he said.
He explained that the decision to base the office here was because of the strong commitment of the state government to developing all aspects of initiatives such as SCORE, including bringing the workforce up to world best practice in safety.
Campbell said the eight conferences per year and about 2,000 people coming will generate an excess of RM2 million in direct delegate expenditure.
“On the investment front, the presence of LSI and work being done by LSI will show investors that Sarawak is working up to international safety standards,” he said.
Also present at the event yesterday were BCCK CEO Jill Hendry and director Akit Sebli.
LSI Regional Office is Level 1, Merdeka Palace, Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, 93000 Kuching.
The contact is 082-230597, and website www.industrygrowth.net.