Kerjasama lebih erat antara MINTRED dan MITI tarik pelabur tenaga hijau ke Sarawak
KUCHING, 25 Mac: Dalam usaha menarik lebih banyak pelaburan ke Sarawak, Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Pelaburan (MINTRED) Sarawak menjalinkan kerjasama lebih erat dengan Kementerian Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI). Timbalan Premier Sarawak Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan berkata perbincangan bersama Menteri Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz hari ini merangkumi untuk menjadikan Sarawak sebagai hab tenaga hijau dan diperbaharui di rantau ini. “Ia menjadi keperluan dalam menarik pelaburan yang betul terutamanya pemerangkapan, penggunaan dan penyimpanan karbon (CCUS) dan hidrogen hijau,” katanya dalam kenyataan. Awang Tengah yang juga Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Pelaburan Sarawak berkata, perlu ada beberapa insentif disediakan kepada pelabur, malah dasar yang kukuh untuk memudahkan pertumbuhan industri ini. Perbincangan tersebut turut disertai Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Pelaburan Sarawak, Datuk Dr Malcom Mussen Lamoh, Penasihat MINTRED Dato Sri Mohd Naroden Majais, Setiausaha Tetap MINTRED, Dzulkarnain Misron dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Lembaga Pembangunan Koridor Wilayah (RECODA), Datu Ismawi Ismuni dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif InvestSarawak, Timothy Ong – TVS
Dr Sim: Govt studying proposal to build railway linking Bintulu Port to Nusantara
KUCHING (March 24): The government is studying a proposal to build a railway linking Bintulu Port to the new capital of Indonesia, Nusantara, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian. He said Bintulu Port’s strategic location in Borneo could facilitate the movement of goods from Sarawak to Indonesia using a shorter travel distance compared to shipping routes. “Can you imagine if the port does not belong to us (the state government) and we want to potentially build a railway line all the way to the new capital of Indonesia?” he said during an event distributing grants to 45 non-governmental organisations (NGO) at Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) headquarters here today. Noting that the distance between Bintulu Port and Nusantara is only a few hundred kilometres, Dr Sim said a high-speed rail from China could cover the distance within three hours compared to ships which would take around two days. On Friday, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between federal Transport Minister Anthony Loke and state Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to the facilitate the change of status of Bintulu Port from being a federal port to a state port by this year. The MoU signing, which was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, will also see the entire operation of Bintulu Port handed over to the Sarawak government by 2025. On another note, Dr Sim remarked that Sarawak has entered into a phase of nation building and the state government led by Abang Johari has taken the initiatives to take over Bintulu Port, MASwings and acquiring significant stakes in Affin Bank. He said the state government will also be providing free tertiary education at state-owned universities to about 20,000 Sarawakian students a year starting 2026 with a cost of about RM30,000 per year for each student. The deputy premier further highlighted that Sarawak aspires to achieve a gross domestic product (GDP) of RM282 billion in the next six years and the state has been counted as the fifth largest producer of gas in the world. Dr Sim also pointed out Sarawak is fast approaching towards an ageing society with the lowest birthrate in the country.
Collaborate with Transport Ministry to encourage use of rivers to transport bulky goods, Lee to SRB
KUCHING (March 16): The Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) is called to work alongside the state Transport Ministry to encourage the use of rivers for transportation of bulky goods instead of relying on roads, said its minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin. “If more heavy cargo can be transported via rivers, there will be less damage on our roads and this will also reduce traffic congestion and accidents,” he said. He said this during a courtesy call paid by newly-appointed SRB chairman Safiee Ahmad at Bangunan Baitulmakmur on Wednesday. Safiee was appointed to the post effective Jan 1 this year. Meanwhile, in a statement by the ministry, the courtesy call was to seek Lee’s advice on the ministry’s present and future plans, as well as the directions set for the board. During the meeting, Lee emphasised the ministry’s vision to develop and modernise Sarawak’s navigable commercial river system as part of the transportation and logistics network. He also requested Safiee work with SRB’s management to improve its organisational structure for more efficient and effective discharging of duties, responsibilities and service delivery. Also present were Deputy Minister of Transport (Riverine and Maritime) Datuk Henry Harry Jinep; the ministry’s permanent secretaries Dato Alice Jawan Empaling and Selamat Jati Yanjah; and ministry administrative officer Teo Swee Ann. Accompanying Safiee was SRB controller Lt Col (Rtd) Ding Tiew Wong.
Sumitomo eyes enhanced participation in S’wak’s green projects
SINGAPORE: Sumitomo Corporation (Sumitomo) has expressed its interest to have greater involvement in Sarawak’s green projects. Among the projects are biomass bamboo, renewal energy, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), green metals, chemical and derivates. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan welcomes Sumitomo to explore and invest in the bamboo plantation project. He also invited Sumitomo to look into the new economic sectors including the green and digital economy. Earlier today, Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment, met with Sumitomo Corporation Asia and Oceania Group chief executive officer (CEO) Keigo Shiomi to discuss more collaboration opportunities. Sumitomo has several collaborations in Sarawak and is currently developing a hydrogen related production project in Bintulu. Meanwhile, also in attendance during the meeting were Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Zainal Abidin Abdullah, STIDC advisor Datuk Hashim Bojet, InvestSarawak CEO Timothy Ong, and PUSAKA Capital Sdn Bhd CEO Mohamad Nor Topek Julaihi.
The Netherlands announces subsidies for €998,330,000 for production of renewable hydrogen with a electrolysers
The Netherlands announces subsidies for €998,330,000 for production of renewable hydrogen with a electrolysers. Do you want to produce renewable hydrogen with an electrolyser? And do you have plans for this? Then you will soon be able to apply for a subsidy via the OWE scheme again. To help you prepare your application, we provide you with an overview of the changes compared to the OWE in 2023. What’s different in 2024? Requirements for the installation 🔥 What about we co-host a webinar? Let’s educate, captivate, and convert the hydrogen economy! Hydrogen Central is the global go-to online magazine for the hydrogen economy, we can help you host impactful webinars that become a global reference on your topic and are an evergreen source of leads. Click here to request more details Ranking of your application Your maximum subsidy amount Feasibility of your project New mandatory appendix: supply of renewable electricity purchase Realizing your installation
Abang Rahmat Yusuf is CEO of Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund
KUCHING: The Board of Guardians of the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund has appointed Abang Rahmat Yusuf as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 29 this year. The announcement was made after the Board meeting yesterday, according to a press statement. Abang Rahmat, 48, was formerly the head of Investment Banking (Malaysia) at CLSA Securities from 2019 to 2024. During his tenure there, he led the fund raising exercises including initial public offerings (IPOs) and placements for institutional and corporate clients. In the beginning of his corporate career, he was a director in the Investments arm at Khazanah Nasional in 2004 until 2019, during which he established and headed the Khazanah Turkey Regional Office in Istanbul covering Turkey, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa. He was also the Overseeing Director for Financial Institutions Group (FIG), which represented 20 per cent of Khazanah’s portfolio. He holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Bintulu’s Samalaju Industrial Park nets RM111.73b approved investment since 2008 launch, says Sarawak premier
BINTULU, March 5 — Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg said last night that Samalaju Industrial Park, which was launched by the then prime minister Tun Abdul Ahmad Badawi in 2008, has attracted an approved investment of RM111.73 billion to date. He said RM12.07 billion out of the total has gone towards commercial production, with direct employment for 9,293 workers. “The potential is there. We have a list of companies which are going to invest in the park, with an anticipated investment of RM15.66 billion,” he said during the 10th anniversary of Sakura Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd. He said there are also a few projects that are being enhanced, one of which is the 70km-long Bintulu-Samalaju gas pipeline that is scheduled for completion at the end of next year. “The operations of these projects will increase the distribution of gas supply to users in Samalaju Industrial Park including the combined cycle gas turbine which is currently under construction. “In other words, we are upgrading the gas supply as well as power to Samalaju Industrial Park,” he said. In his speech earlier, Sakura Ferroalloys Sdn Bhd chairman BH (Tiaan) van Aswegen said the company is in the process of constructing a new sinter plant at the site. “This US$30 million plant will be commissioned in the second half of 2024 and will contribute to further improve plant efficiencies and lower the cost base,” he said. He said a feasibility study to produce a value-added refined ferro-manganese product will be concluded by mid-year. “If the study results are positive, this might lead to a further investment of around US$100 million at Sakura,” he said, adding that studies to produce by-products from current waste streams, such as slag, fumes and gas, are being pursued.
