An employee is seen at Asteel’s factory in Demak Laut. On Asteel’s 1,000 posts for Malaysians, Hii highlighted that 50 per cent are job opportunities for Asteel’s retail Envio concept stores, 30 per cent for its manufacturing activities and the remaining 20 per cent to support its green IBS efforts to create affordable shelter.
KUCHING: ASTEEL Group (Asteel), which will be expanding its operations around the Borneo region and in Peninsular Malaysia, aims to create 1,000 job opportunities to support the government’s agenda to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
Asteel, a subsidiary company under YKGI Holdings Bhd, is guided by its five-year masterplan that drives the group to achieve its long-term sustainable growth, ensuring shareholders’ value creation, safeguarding its corporate reputation, strengthening its investors’ confidence, and most importantly, providing gainful employment to Malaysians.
“In line with our five-year masterplan, we aim to create 1,000 job opportunities to support the government’s agenda to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce,” Asteel managing director Dato Sri’ Victor Hii Lu Thian said in an email interview with The Borneo Post.
“Most importantly, we hope to do our part to reduce the country’s unemployment rate which currently stands at 4.8 per cent since February 2021, according to the Statistics of Labour Force in Malaysia.
“In Sarawak alone, a total of 6,767 workers were retrenched – with the Kuching district recording the highest number of retrenchments with 3,381, followed by Miri with 2,538 workers retrenched. as reported by the Sarawak Labour Department.
“In view of this, we are not resting on our laurels, for the next five years, Asteel will be expanding its operations around the Borneo region and in Peninsular Malaysia which will enable us to provide gainful employment to Malaysians.
“We are pleased to share that Asteel will be setting up more branches in both Sarawak and Sabah. These branches will be offering roll-forming services and supplying roofing materials to cater to the local customers.”
Asteel is also planning to set up a few more roll-forming factories in the greater part of the northern region of Sarawak as the group foresees that the area has potential to achieve rapid progress and development and emerge as a developed state.
“Additionally, to bring ourselves closer to our customers, Asteel will be opening more Envio concept stores throughout East Malaysia.
“Our Envio concept store is a one-stop outlet specialising in building materials. It provides customers with the best value-added, high-quality, and affordable products.”
“The rollout of our factories, branches, and establishments of Envio concept stores would provide more employment opportunities to the local communities in which we operate.”
On Asteel’s 1,000 posts for Malaysians, Hii highlighted that 50 per cent are job opportunities for Asteel’s retail Envio concept stores, 30 per cent for its manufacturing activities and the remaining 20 per cent to support its green Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) efforts to create affordable shelter.
“However, we wish to emphasise that while it is our target to offer 1,000 jobs over the next five years, we are optimistic that the situation with the pandemic will improve and will present more opportunities for us in the construction and services sectors – enabling us to create more jobs and offer employment opportunities to our local workforce.”
In addition, Asteel also shared that the group will be restructuring and growing its operations in Peninsular Malaysia, as part of its diversification efforts.
Overall, Asteel foresees that with the current economic situation and shift in home buyers’ purchasing habits, there will be more demand for affordable homes and demand for individuals who specialise in IBS technology.
“Thus, Asteel is also looking into hiring high skilled talent to support its transition towards becoming one of the leading players in the construction industry that provides affordable shelter.
“To summarise, providing gainful employment to Malaysians is one of the most important fundamental components of our five-year masterplan.”