Awang Tengah (seated centre) studies detailed information of the plant. Also seen are Nansian (seated, third left), Julaihi (seated second right) and Kow (right) during the briefing.
KUCHING: The 70.8 hectare expansion (Phase V) of Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone (SJFIZ) which is close to completion is set to become a major attraction for multinational industry players to invest in Sarawak.
To date, Sama Jaya is home to several domestic and multinational investors worth RM8.9 billion and is currently providing more than 7,900 jobs.
“As of October this year, total exports from Sama Jaya amounts to RM2.07 billion,” said Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan during his visit to Comtec Solar International (M) Sdn Bhd at Sama Jaya yesterday.
The figure is a 26 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, which recorded a total export of RM1.64 billion.
He added that the state government was optimistic that the expansion project would meet the demands of investors and attract more hi-tech industries in electrical, electronics, advanced materials to be located in Sama Jaya.
Awang Tengah’s visit to Comtec yesterday was to brief his ministry regarding the company, which aims to become the world’s largest plant in manufacturing high efficiency N-type monocrystalline solar ingots and wafers.
He revealed that Comtec are investing RM1.2 billion in Sama Jaya upon completion of their plants which will be carried out in three phases with a production capacity of more than 1GW.
He was also told that Comtec, which is currently in Phase One, has 446 staff including 30 engineers who are mostly locals.
“When Comtec is fully completed, they will be able to provide 1,300 jobs,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment.
Meanwhile, Comtec Solar International (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Isabel Kow said they were running on 20 units of slicing machine, having 160 crystal-pullers installed.
“Our aim is to have 160 crystal-pullers up and running by year end,” said Kow.
Present was Assistant Minister for Industrial Estate Development Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie and Assistant Minister for Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion), Datuk Julaihi Narawi.