Janang holding the Enterprise 50 Award 2019 trophy, next to other awards won by Konsortium Bumi. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: With all the awards and diverse project implementations under its belt, Sarawak consultancy firm Konsortium Bumi Consultants and Services Sdn Bhd (Konsortium Bumi) is now eyeing to be the main consultant for big government projects in Sarawak.
Its managing director Datuk Ir Janang Bungsu hopes that the government, both state and federal, would consider Konsortium Bumi to be one of the main consultancy firms in development projects in the state.
“We have become the sub-consultant for the Pan Borneo Highway project, the Second Trunk Road project and the Batang Lupar Bridge – so we have all the technical know-how now, whatever it is – bridges, roads, highways, R3, R5, you name it,” he told The Borneo Post at the firm’s office near Jalan Tun Jugah here yesterday.
Konsortium Bumi is one of the most established Bumiputera consultancy firms in Sarawak, with various awards on its glass cabinet given by the government agencies and statutory bodies over the years.
Among them were Bronze Award of Commendation by the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM), the Sarawak Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award 2015 and the Sarawak Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 form the Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, the Chief Minister’s Environmental Award 2017/2018, the Silver Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Award 2019, and the Enterprise 50 Award 2019 form the federal government.
Another achievement by Konsortium Bumi includes being awarded the ISO certification for Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 in 2016.
“Now we are involved in the state Rural Electrification Scheme and Rural Water Supply Grid project. We are also involved in the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) projects. Also we are involved as sub-consultants for the Pan Borneo Highway project, the Batang Lupar Bridge project, and the Second Trunk Road project.
“I have told the minister in charge recently (Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing), I think it is about time for us (Dayak firm) to become the main consultant for government development projects,” said Janang.
One of the projects he hoped Konsortium Bumi would be the main consultant was the 1,000km Trans-Borneo Highway proposed by the Federal Government recently, following Indonesia’s plan to move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan in phases starting 2020.
“That is our hope. Yes, will be challenges, but there is also hope. Sarawak has big potential for development. We believe that we should be one of the major players in the coming years in the construction sector in the state.
“Since the state government is also seriously developing the state by itself, Sarawak has a bright future which we, as a company and one of the players, want to be involved in the development of the state,” said Janang.
Another proud moment for Konsortium Bumi was the implementation of the Long Banga micro hydro dam project in Baram in 2014.
Janang said the project was so successful that the company won the Bronze Award of Commendation by ACEM.
“The government was so happy with the project and its success, that it had been proposed to be expanded to other settlements there.
“This project is very close to my heart, that although it cost a lot to implement and we could not claim reimbursables for the ground work in the Baram interior, we get to help the local communities there.
“Not many wanted to take up this project because other similar projects like the Sebako micro-hydro dam project in Bario had failed, and the implementation cost was too high.
“Even the state government awarding the project to us asked if we could handle it. I said to them, it is for the community, do not pay me if the project fails, and I took up the challenge,” he said.
Now, the Long Banga Micro Hydro dam generates about 720 kilowatt (kW) of electricity from its four turbines, providing 24-7 electricity to some 180 homes in the interior of Baram.
The turbines were specially ordered from England, made by Gilbert Gilkes and Gordon Ltd due to its proven reliability and efficiency, Janang added.
“We were given a recognition for this project and won the ACEM award because its impact to the community. It has become something that is dear to our hearts because it impacted the rural community and also successful, but a lot of challenges.
“It is something that we are proud of not because of the complexity of the project but because the people there were blessed, they celebrated christmas that year for the first time with electricity.
“Now with the state government developing the Integrated Agricultural Centre there, a lot more people who used to work with the oil and gas in and outside the country are coming back because they see got facilities there and they can do businesses.
“They still have a lot of fish there, and now they can have refrigerators, so they can sell their fish, or other produce and develop economic activities there.
“That is very rewarding to me,” he said.
On a side note, Janang said Konsortium Bumi has about 150 employees in the company groups, where about 90 per cent of them are Dayaks.
He said he was also proud with the company for defying the tradition where professional services were said to be “not the bread and butter of the Dayaks”.
“I remember when me and my two partners – David Hollis and David Sengalang – just started to establish the company in 2006, two fellow consultants came to me and said we would not be able to make it beyond three years because it is not the bread and butter of the Dayaks.
“Now after 13 years we have proven them wrong,” said Janang.
Also thanks to Konsortium Bumi’s success over the years, it had managed to groom several Dayak professionals.
He said some of their engineers were jobless for years right after universities. Some of them, he said, were “picked up” from supermarkets and factories working there as general workers.
“And now one of them, Dominic Bechat Nanang, an engineering graduate from Unimas 2005, who worked in a factory for two years after that because he could not find a job, is now one of our Associate Director,” he said.