MoU ensures bitumen supply for road projects in Sarawak

KUCHING: Sarawak can expect an uninterrupted supply of high quality bitumen for its ongoing development of the 1,000 km Pan Borneo Highway project and some 1,500 km of new rural roads.

This follows a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) inked between Kuching- based Senari Synergy Sdn Bhd and Selangorbased Kemaman Bitumen Co Sdn Bhd here today.

Senari Synergy is a leading state corporation in the development and management of centralised storage and distribution facilities for oil and gas as well as petrochemical industries, while Kemaman Bitumen is a subsidiary of Tipco Asphalt Co Ltd of Thailand, the largest bitumen producer in Southeast Asia.

Under the MoU, Senari Synergy will make an initial investment of RM30 million to develop a bitumen storage facility, as well as related infrastructure and amenities.

I am also pleased to note that even in this very challenging economic environment, Sarawak is still receiving a substantial amount of foreign direct investments and domestic direct investments. Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, state Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment Minister

In his speech after witnessing the signing, state Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the MoU is timely with the state undertaking the RM16 billion Pan Borneo Highway, which is expected to be completed by 2021.

“I am also pleased to note that even in this very challenging economic environment, Sarawak is still receiving a substantial amount of foreign direct investments and domestic direct investments.

“In 2014 and 2015, the state attracted RM9.6 billion and RM11.8 billion in investments respectively,” said Awang Tengah.

Year to date, he said, Sarawak has, among others, inked an MoU with Hebei Xinwang Steel of China to develop a US$ 3 billion steel mill at Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu.

“We also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement to develop a US$ 100 billion biomass project in the state, involving local and Chinese companies,” Awang Tengah added. —Bernama