Sumardi
KOTA KINABALU (Nov 20): The cement shortage in the state is caused by a major main machinery breakdown at the Cement Industries (Sabah) Sdn Bhd’s (CIS) plant at Sepanggar bay in October, this year.
As a result, production capacity reduced by 40% from 2,400 tons per day to 1,400 tons per day that disrupted the cement supply, CIS general manager Hj Sumardi Mohd Yusof said in a statement on Monday.
Sumardi said the repair works took one month to complete and the plant operation resumed its normal operation in early November.
CIS has since increased its cement delivery to clear the backlog orders.
“The supply was also interrupted due to delays in raw materials and bulk cement shipments’ arrival arising from bad weather at the loading port in Peninsular Malaysia and Vietnam.
“CIS is increasing its production and cement delivery to the market by bringing in more raw materials and bulk cement shipments and extending its delivery operation including Sunday and public holidays to ensure that all the state cement requirements are fulfilled,” he added.
Sabah Builders Association president Henry Tsen recently said that the construction industry in Sabah was badly affected by the prevailing cement shortage in Sabah since the middle of October, especially at the East Coast towns of Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau.
He pointed out that cement is one of the most important components for the infrastructure and building construction. As a result of the shortage, construction works cannot progress and all the construction activities will be brought to a halt.