CM says the push will capitalise on state’s niches and strengths like hydropower and other natural resources
(From right) Taib, Adenan, Kazuhisa Kogo, Awang Tengah, Masahiko Horie and Jabu looking at the Tokuyama Polycrystalline Silicon Factory after the Head of State symbolically officiated at its inauguration ceremony.
Kazuhisa Kogo (fourth left) presents a souvenir to Taib as Adenan (second right) and other VVIPs look on.
BINTULU: The state government is committed to further develop the manufacturing sector to become the most important sector of the economy, says Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.
He said the manufacturing sector had grown in importance to the state’s economy, taking into account that it currently contributes 27 per cent to the state’s economy and employs about 127,000 people or 11.2 per cent of the total workforce.
“For this reason, we have decided to make industrialisation as an important development agenda especially in our endeavour to attain a developed and high income economy by the year 2020,” he said during the inauguration ceremony for Tokuyama Polycrystalline Silicon Factory at Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP) yesterday.
The state’s industrialisation programme, he said, would capitalise on the state’s niches and strengths which among others include the exploitation of hydropower and other natural resources.
“Therefore we will continue with our SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy) development plan that will provide us the trajectory for accelerated growth until 2031.
“We have no other better options apart from encouraging the setting up of export oriented industries to fit into the global supply chain in view of our small market,” he said.
He pointed out that today’s global industries were constantly searching for cheaper and clean source of energy.
For this reason, the state, he said, was very fortunate to have abundant supply of water through the many rivers which could be tapped into hydropower.
“Hydropower is not only competitive compared to fossil fuel but is also clean and renewable. We have developed Bakun and Murum hydropower dams successfully to meet the energy demand of the first batch of our SCORE investors up to 2017 including Tokuyama,” he said.
He said the response from investors was encouraging as there were still many who wanted to invest in SCORE, which he said required a plan to develop more energy sources systematically.
Thus, he added, the state government was planning to develop other hydropower dams including in Baram and Baleh.
“It is not only to meet the needs of industries but more importantly to benefit the people especially those who are directly affected by the hydro dam development,” he said.
On yesterday’s event, he said it marked another important chapter in the history of modern Sarawak as Tokuyama will be remembered as one of the big investors that established their manufacturing operation in the state.
Their investment totalling RM8 billion to produce raw materials required by the solar industry will shape the future of the global energy sector, he said.
According to him, it was a privilege that Tokuyama had chosen Sarawak for its manufacturing operation, which no doubt will raise the profile of the state as an attractive investment location for international investors in this region.
Tokuyama’s investment here, he said, would complete the value chain of making Malaysia the hub for solar industry.
“We are confident that your establishment in SIP will act as a catalyst to entice more Japanese investors to come and do business in Sarawak,” Adenan highlighted.
To-date, SIP has attracted many trigger projects such as aluminium smelting, polycrystalline silicon, metallic silicon, ferroalloy and chemical industries.
The chief minister said the establishment of these trigger projects augurs well with the SCORE development plan in promoting the development of cluster industries.
He further said the availability of technical and skilled workers was paramount in attracting international investors, thus necessitating the establishment of technical and skill trainings in the state.
“There will be greater tripartite collaboration between the state government, industries and training providers to realise this agenda,” he said.
The ceremony was officiated by Yang d-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, and attended by state ministers, assistant ministers and senior officials of Tokuyama Malaysia, among others.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Tokuyama Corporation Japan president Dato Sri Kazuhisa Kogo, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary ambassador of Japan Dr Makio Miyagawa and Special Assistant to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Ambassador for Global Environment Masahiko Horie.