KTS, PTISB ink MoUs on furniture making
HO CHI MINH, Vietnam: KTS Holdings and Pusaka Timber Industries Sdn Bhd (PTISB) on Friday signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Sudima Panels Co Ltd and Wilsons Hill Vietnam respectively to collaborate on furniture manufacturing.
This is to meet market demand for furniture with high quality designs from Sarawak.
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan witnessed the signing of the MoUs, which signified the joint aspirations of PTISB and KTS Holdings to develop a strategic alliance in furniture manufacturing across international borders.
Awang Tengah said Vietnam is leveraging on acacia wood to produce furniture and expressed his hope Sarawak could emulate Vietnam by capitalising on acacia wood.
“This could turn Sarawak into the major hub of acacia furniture production in the region,” he said in a press release yesterday.
“Currently, Sarawak exports of furniture remain negligible, contributing less than five per cent of total export earnings of timber and timber products.”
Last year, the export value of furniture and furniture components from Sarawak was RM47 million.
“The Sarawak timber transformation plan has targeted to achieve RM6 billion worth of furniture export by 2030,” he said.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Awang Tengah and a 36-member delegation from Sarawak visited Tan Viet Tian and Sudima Panels Co Ltd, which are both producers of acacia furniture in Vietnam.
On Thursday, they visited Tan Phat Feedmill.
The Sarawak delegation was on a four-day mission to Vietnam, which began on Wednesday, to share information and explore the possibility of collaboration with Vietnam in areas of common interest as well as to lure investors to Sarawak.
Among those in the delegation were Assistant Minister of E-Commerce Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais; Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh; Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment Malcolm Mussen Lamoh; Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; permanent secretaries Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar (Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources) and Datu Liaw Soon Eng (Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development); as well as PTISB director and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation acting general manager Hashim Bojet.