RM20 billion, 8000 jobs by 2015
by Caroline Jackson, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 21, 2012, Saturday
INTERESTING STUFF: Taib admires a memento presented to him by chairman of Asia Minerals Limited, Hirotaka Suzuki (second left). At right is Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: Samalaju attracts keen response from investors, three industries taking off now.
Samalaju Industrial Park in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) is expected to attract RM20 billion worth of investments and 8,000 workers by 2015, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday.
He said response from investors to Samalaju had been keen, with three industries starting construction while water and electricity supply would be made available during the first phase from now until the end of 2015.
“Twenty years ago, nothing was done in Samalaju. An area of 6,000 ha has been cleared and taken up by the industries while the authorities are now in the process of planning a township to ease the 60 km commute to Bintulu,” he said when witnessing the power purchase agreement (PPA) signing ceremony here between Asia Minerals Ltd (AML) and Sarawak Energy Bhd to provide 270 megawatts (MW) of power for a contract period of 20 years.
The federal government had allocated a grant of RM500 million to enable dredging works to be carried out at Samalaju Port within the next two years, he said.
He was confident that Sarawak Energy, which has a supply capacity of 2,500 MW at present, would have an installed capacity of 3,900 MW by then for the industries in Samalaju.
By 2015 two hydroelectric power dams, including Bakun and Murum, and two coal-fired stations in Balingian would be fully operational, Taib said.
On the RM790 million investment by AML to set up a manganese ferroalloy smelting plant in Samalaju, he said Sarawak’s relationship with Japanese investors had been cordial ever since the first Japanese multinational, Taiyo Yuden, invested in Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone here about 15 years ago.
“As far as the state government is concerned, we go all out to ensure investors get what they want, their operations are smooth and products delivered on time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Japanese ambassador to Malaysia, Shigeru Nakamura said there were
39 Japanese companies in Sarawak at present including
in energy-related services, electronic equipment, construction, timber and tourism-related industries.
He was optimistic that Hong Kong-based AML, with the first manganese ferroalloy plant to be built in Sarawak, would further boost bilateral ties besides helping promote Japanese investment in the state. — Bernama
