Raymond Alfred
KOTA KINABALU (June 21): The chairman of BIMP-EAGA Business Council, Dr Raymond Alfred, through Allyssa Certification Sdn Bhd met with the management of China Railway 14th Bureau Group Corporation Limited in Jinan, China recently, to discuss the possible cooperation to venture into or possible project investment in Sabah.
The management members of China Railway 14th Bureau Group Corporation Limited who attended the meeting include The Group Overseas Company Business Director Gong Fanghua, and three members from the Group Overseas Company Market Development Department (vice minister and members, Sang Chengma, Fan Faliang and Shan Hang).
Dr Raymond was accompanied by Alvin Xing, Dato Edison Mun and Dato Calvin (Founder and Executive Directors of Solamax Sdn Bhd) and Huang Xuansen (Executive Director of Hong Kong Huayi Venture Capital Ltd).
Both sides have agreed to cooperate in order to enhance the BIMP-EAGA program in the region.
The potential investment project includes the establishment of a team to support the BIMP-EAGA (especially in Sabah) in planning and carrying out pre-feasibility study on trans Borneo railway development in North Borneo.
The pre-feasibility study document serves as the basis for project justification for implementation, and the process will involve consultation with the Sabah State Government. The pre-feasibility study document will be prepared, based on the data or information from Sabah state railway planning, including social, economic and traffic volume status, as well as on-site reconnaissance.
The content and depth of the study primarily include the following aspects:
1. Forecasting passenger and freight volumes
2. Systematically studying the project’s role in the overall transportation network, comprehensive transport system, and socio-economic development plan.
3. Proposed preliminary route alignment and construction scale.
4. Outlining key technical standards for the railway and principles for major technical equipment design.
5. Conducting preliminary analyses of major engineering works, related projects, external environments (including special functional zones near or crossing the railway), land use and collaboration conditions.
6. Estimating construction duration, investment costs, and funding sources.
7. Performing initial economic evaluations
8. Demonstrating the necessity and feasibility of the project, including analysing the macro-level impact on various protected areas, noise-sensitive zones, and social environment.
Raymond said that he is in the process of communicating with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor and Sabah BIMP-EAGA Special Envoy Datuk Oandikar Amin with regards to this initiative.
“I will also cooperate with SME Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce Sabah president Benjamin Golimbi and Sabah Professional Council chairman Ar Rizal A Banjar during the pre-feasibility study to ensure the local professional Sabahan is involved especially in the planning phase,” he said.
The other two projects include the establishment of a renewable energy project and the establishment of a recycle centre for scheduled waste such as refurbish of battery components in Sabah.