Teraju wants to have bigger role in services, tourism and food manufacturing sectors

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Fadillah (second right), Husni (left) and Naroden (right) in a photo session before the Sarawak Bumiputera Economic Council special committee meeting.

Fadillah (second right), Husni (left) and Naroden (right) in a photo session before the Sarawak Bumiputera Economic Council special committee meeting.

KUCHING: The Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (Teraju) is looking to increase its role and cooperation with the Sarawak state government in the development of services, tourism and food manufacturing sectors in the state.

Teraju chief executive officer Datuk Husni Salleh said this is in view that the state still needs more development in the sectors, apart from looking into new areas where it could assist local Bumiputera entrepreneurs.

“We will continue with our effort and new suggestions have been made. We will see what are the new areas. As of now, we feel the area of services, tourism and food manufacturing are still lacking here and we want to increase Teraju’s role and our cooperation with Sarawak government,” he told a press conference after the Sarawak Bumiputera Economic Council special committee meeting chaired by Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof here yesterday.

Husni noted that Teraju has approved RM226.4 million as funds for local entrepreneurs through the six programmes that it has come up with since its establishment in Sarawak on March 6, 2012.

“We have done six programmes since 2012, including the facilitation fund that we had generated from Bumiputera companies in Sarawak amounting to RM1.05 billion with the facilitation fund provided amounting to RM142.6 million.

“For high performing Bumiputera companies or Teras companies, we have 84 companies that we have allocated with Teras funding through banks amounting to RM66.7 million. We also have three Sarawakian entrepreneurs involved in Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Scheme (Superb).

“We have also allocated RM15 million so far under the Entrepreneur Development Fund in Sarawak that had assisted a total of 375 entrepreneurs in the state.”

Husni also noted that Teraju was also working together with Dewan Usahawan Bumiputera Sarawak (DUBS) and Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) in entrepreneurial training programme.

He mentioned that a Sarawakian company under Teraju’s ‘Skim Jejak Jaya Bumiputera’ programme had been listed in Bursa Malaysia in Feb this year, with the listing value of about RM2 billion.

Fadillah said he was happy that there were many achievements and programmes implemented by Teraju to assist the Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Sarawak.

“The meeting today also discussed on the cooperation between Teraju and financial facilities such as SME Bank that will assist the Bumiputera contractors who are involved in Pan Borneo Highway projects.

“We will see ways to help Bumiputera contractors so that they can have financial support, besides the technical aspect such as training. We are working with DUBS, DCCI, Persatuan Kontraktor Melayu Malaysia in terms of training programmes or up-skilling of our entrepreneurs.”

Fadillah said those present were updated on the status of the appointment of Bumiputera contractors by the Pan Borneo High project delivery partner Lebuhraya Borneo Utara.

“For example, all the contract packages, we call it work packages, 11 altogether had been awarded. From there, we estimated not less than 30 per cent to be distributed to Bumiputera contractors from class A to class F or G1 to G7.

“We are more or less there. What is left is some fine-tuning between the main players and nominated sub contractors. Hopefully this can be resolved and at end of the day, the objective is to give benefit to Sarawak in terms of improvement of road facilities and at the same time benefitting all contractors from all levels and supply chain.”

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur Development Datuk Naroden Majais hoped that Teraju and Sarawak Bumiputera Economic Council would support and consider what had been presented during the meeting.

Among them, Naroden said, is the Anjung Usahawan which requires another RM15 million funding this year, including RM2 million for the Anjung Usaha in Petra Jaya and Darul Hana.

“We hope for support from Teraju so that all the visions that we discussed can be realised.”