Asteel to expand operations in Borneo and West M’sia
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
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. Dato Sri’ Victor Hii Lu Thian
– 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.
KUCHING: The job market for fresh graduates will improve with the rollout of Covid19 vaccines and businesses resuming operations, opines Sarawak-based ASTEEL Group (Asteel).
According to its managing director Datuk Seri Victor Hii Lu Thian, that as more companies move towards post-pandemic recovery, the job market will likely stabilise.
“According to the Ministry of Human Resources (MoHR), in the fourth quarter of 2020, the labour supply was dominated by jobseekers with tertiary education, representing 45.5 per cent of total jobseekers,” Hii noted in an interview with The Borneo Post.
“However, there was a shortage of vacancies for graduate occupations. We believe that as most companies move towards post pandemic recovery, the job market will stabilise.
“Also, with most companies going digital, they will need more talent to expand their services due to the increasing market demand.”
Hii highlighted that digitalisation and automation have also increased the hiring demands in industries such as manufacturing, supply chain and logistics and many more.
“Overall, we believe that the job market for fresh graduates will improve with the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and businesses resuming operations,” he said.
Hii highlighted that by employing fresh graduates, companies will be able to transition to digital platforms with ease as they are known to be tech savvy and are more agile to the changing times.
In addition, Asteel believed that all industry players, collectively, should play an instrumental role in nurturing the country’s future talent (i.e., the fresh graduates) by equipping them with the experience and skills needed for them to grow as professionals and for the industry.
When asked if Asteel will be prioritising employment of Sarawkians, the group shared that it is a home-grown Sarawak company that will always prioritise employment for Sarawakians (but is not limited to) for the betterment of the region.
“Apart from our headquarters located in Sarawak, we believe that Sarawak has a large pool of untapped skilled and young workforce that will help Asteel with its smart manufacturing journey.
“At Asteel, we believe in providing gainful employment to a skilled local workforce, who in return will support the company’s competitive advantage and business sustainability.
“Most importantly, we hope to enhance the quality of life of Sarawakians and help Sarawak transition to a high-income state by the year 2030.”