News: ‘Dams built to keep Taib’s CMS in business’

KUCHING: The opposition here claim that the real reason the state government is constructing 12 hydro-electric dams in Sarawak is to ensure a ‘guaranteed business’ for Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS), a company owned by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family members.

Making this allegation, Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said: “I think the whole thing about the state government going on foolhardily on these dam construction is to give a guaranteed business to CMS which is owned by Taib’s family members.

“These dam projects will need a lot of cement and building materials from CMS.”

“The second reason is that under the pretext of constructing the dams, they can go on uninhibited logging activities.

“Those are the real reasons for this foolhardiness,” he added.

Chong said CMS has since its inception in 1974 evolved from being a single product manufacturer of cement in Sarawak to a conglomerate with 40 companies under its wings.

The CMS conglomerate with more than 2,000 employees is involved in cement manufacturing, construction materials, trading, construction, road maintenance, property development, financial services, education and other services.

Chong was commenting on remarks made by the Barisan Nasional MP for Kapit, Alex Nanta Linggi in parliament.

Nanta had bemoaned that nothing had been done to help the people in and around the dams.

He said that the dams would bring billions of ringgit to the nation, state and the contractors at the expense of the local people.

Nanta had suggested that 5% of the funds that had been allocated to the construction of these dams should be channeled to help alleviate the miseries of the people who live within the vicinity of the dams.

Chong, who is Sarawak DAP secretary, agreed with Nantha.

“I fully agree with his statement. I was in Parliament and read the statement. Although the dams can generate three times electricity consumption of Sarawak, yet the villagers beside the dams have no electricity.

“That is the irony,” Chong said.

No social impact studies

Chong said that he was not aware if the EIA reports took into account the social impact of the dam’s construction.

“Like the Bengoh dam, even at the time of impoundment the state government has not done any EIA reports on its social impact.

“And the Bakun hydro-electric dam, the displaced indigenous people who have been resettled at Sungai Asap cannot even earn a living.

“So there are no proper studies or efforts to ensure the indigenous people’s lives are not unduly and adversely affected in the construction of the dams.

“The areas where they have been resettled as Land Development Minister James Masing has admitted are not suitable,” he said.

The state government has so far built Batang Ai and Bakun hydro-electric dams which are now in operation.

The Bengoh dam will be ready at any time while Murum and Baram dams are under construction. Ten more dams are being planned.

Source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/03/26/dams-built-to-keep-taibs-cms-in-business/

Video: Fight the power

Video: Samalaju Industrial Park

News: Korean companies invest RM2 billion in Samalaju Industrial park

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/02/18/korean-companies-invest-rm2-billion-in-samalaju-industrial-park/


Korean companies invest RM2 billion in Samalaju Industrial park

FRUITFUL MEETING: Awang Tengah (second left) is seen presenting a book on Sarawak’s development to Asia Cement’s director of corporate planning Keon Hee Lee at the former’s office at Wisma Sumber Alam, Kuching yesterday. Also seen in the picture from right are Sarudu, Julaihi, Naroden and Nansian. Photo: Chimon Upon.

KUCHING: Some RM2 billion (US$620 million) worth of investment at Samalaju Industrial Park from two Korean conglomerates have been approved by the state government, revealed Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.

He told a press conference here yesterday that the two companies namely Asia Cement Co Ltd (Asia Cement) and Dongwoo Metal Korea would invest an estimated US$300 and US$320 million respectively.

Awang Tengah said Asia Cement would invest in the manufacturing of metal silicon.

“Currently they are in negotiations on the power purchase agreement with Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) on the tariffs for the requested 180MW of electricity for its need to start operations here,” said Awang Tengah after receiving two Korean company delegations at his office at Wisma Sumber Alam here yesterday.

He said the company would start its earthworks on April this year. Some 120 hectares of land had been approved for the site operation in Samalaju.

“For the first phase, Asia Cement is scheduled for commercial operation by the fourth quarter 2013, second phase would commence on third quarter of 2015 and the third phase in 2017,” said Awang Tengah.

He added that at the initial stage, the company would employ its own engineers with some local engineers to start the company but would gradually train and recruit more local staff once it was in full operations.

The second company which would invest an estimated US$320 million also in Samalaju Industrial Park would produce integrated metallic silica (charcoal and woodchips).

Another company which had also keen interest to invest in Samalaju was Eco Frontier which would be involved in renewable energy, green finance and global carbon.

However, as the company would require some three million tonnes of biomass annually especially palm oil wastes, the state government had advised it to make further studies on the proposal.

Awang Tengah said this was necessary so that the company would have enough raw material to feed its mills due to competition for the same raw material from local companies.

“This is the result of our successful trade mission trip to South Korea recently where some 180 CEOs and captains of industries came to participate in our forums,” he said.

Meanwhile, Awang Tengah who is also the Minister of Planning and Environment II revealed that the state would need the power from Murum to offer competitive tariffs to investors as power from Bakun would not be sufficient to propel energy-intensive industries in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) area.

He disclosed that the Murum hydropower (HEP) was expected to produce power by early 2014. Currently, some 70 per cent of the project had been completed. Murum HEP has a capacity of about 944MW.

“We are able to plan properly so as to be able to meet the demand of the market,” he said.

Sarawak has a potential capacity to produce some 20,000MW of power from its HEP by 2030.

Present at the closed door meeting were Assistant Minister of Industrial Estate Development Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, Assistant Minister of Investment Promotion Julaihi Narawi, Assistant Minister of Resource Planning Datuk Naroden Majais, STIDC general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai and permanent secretary of the ministry of industrial development Datu Liaw Soon Eng and director of the state planning unit Datu Ismawi Ismuni.

Web: Samalaju Industrial Park and Tanjung Manis Halal Hub set standards for SCORE

Source: http://investvine.com/samalaju-industrial-park-and-tanjung-manis-halal-hub-set-standards-for-score/

Samalaju Industrial Park and Tanjung Manis Halal Hub set standards for SCORE

Posted by Thar on December 19, 2011 in Economy & Monetary, Infrastructure | 0 Comment

The Samalaju Industrial Park and Tanjung Manis Halal Hub are the two central zones in the SCORE initiative. The two regions are leading the way in terms of on-going projects and are expected to fuel further investments in Sarawak’s overall economic development plan.

Of all the activities and developments taking place within the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), two bustling areas have emerged as cornerstones of the entire project.

The Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP) in Bintulu and the Tanjung Manis Halal Hub in the western-most part of the Corridor are expected to enjoy the highest density of investment from foreign and domestic interests.

Since the launch of SCORE in 2008, both zones have pushed ahead with their respective development agendas, bolstered by investments and pledges from some of the biggest players in their sectors.

The two regions cater to vastly different businesses. SIP is dedicated to heavy and energy intensive industries while TMHH focus on food security, agriculture and halal products. However, both are working in unison to help Sarawak achieve its goal of becoming a developed state by 2020.

SIP is a 7,000-hectare area on the coast of Bintulu dedicated to energy-intensive heavy industry and under the jurisdiction of the Bintulu Development Authority.

The Park will house companies engaged in aluminium smelters, steel, oil refineries, silica-based industries, marine engineering and other industrial and commercial activities.

A dedicated port will be developed inside the SIP to transport raw materials and produce. In addition, Bintulu Port, which is being upgraded to meet the expected demands of industries in the area, will provide another sea route in and out of the Park with massive cargo capability.

The production of aluminium, for which global demand is expected to rise four per cent, will have a strong presence at SIP with three separate projects eventually producing about 1.3 million tonnes a year.

The biggest one is a US$1 billion plant in a joint venture between Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad and Rio Tinto Alcan, producing 720,000 tonnes. The Aluminium Corporation of China and a Malaysian group led by tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary and UAE business leader Mohammed Ali Rasheed Alabbar are building a US$1.6 billion smelter with production capacity of 370,000 while local company Press Metal Bintulu have received financing and have starting building a 240,000 capacity plant.

Two manganese smelters will also be established in Samalaju. Hong Kong’s Asia Minerals Ltd is keen to build a RM3 billion factory while Cahya Mata Sarawak is teaming up with Australia’s OM Holdings for manganese and ferro silicon allow plant.

Japan’s Tokuyama Corporation is spending more than RM6 billion for two polycrystalline silicon factories with an eventual annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes.

TMHH will cover close to 80,000 hectares of fertile agricultural land. It is hoped that the Hub will develop to be one of the most scientifically and environmentally advanced halal centres in the world via the use of advanced technologies, renewable energy and sustainable practices.

The first international company to invest in TMHH was Taiwan-based Sea Party International. Together with its subsidiaries, SPI has pledged RM$2 billion in phases. The first phase involved spending RM318 million for aquaculture activities such as tilapia breeding, chlorella cultivation and production of Halal collagen and gelatine. The second phase moves into the production of gelatine from tilapia scales, bones and skin, organic prawn farming and vendor development programmes.

The group has already started construction of its RM30 million research centre in Tanjung Manis.

Bahrain-based BioMe has also visited the site with a view to invest in sustainable and profitable biotech industries in TMHH.

During the Invest Malaysia Forum 2011 in Abu Dhabi in January, TMHH owners, Tanjung Manis Food & Industrial Park Sdn Bhd signed three MoUs that that could rake in millions of dollars’ worth of investments from the Middle East.

The first agreement was between Tanjung Manis Food & Industrial Park Sdn Bhd and Inside Investor to facilitate investments from the GCC into TMHH. The Malaysian company also signed with New York-based Borneo Agriculture to set up a US$500 million fund from GVC to invest in the hub. Perigon Advisory WLL also signed on to establish a RM3 billion Food & Agriculture Fund for Islamic countries.