STIDC urged to formalise JV with Australia on engineered wood products
KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan has called upon the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) to formalise the jointventure (JV) with Australian investors to produce engineered wood products that can be used for building components and structures, and are set for the export market.
The call came following a visit by a delegation from Australia’s Tilling Timber Pte Ltd and Woodsfield to his office at Wisma Sumber Alam here on Thursday.
The main objective of the visitors’ trip to Sarawak was to source for the supply of engineered wood products, and among the options included joint investment with local investors in engineered wood plant to produce glulam and laminated veneer lumber utilising acacia from forest plantations.
In this regard, Awang Tengah expressed hope for Tilling Timber to firm up its business consideration to invest in engineered wood-based products in Sarawak.
“The proposed project is in line with the Sarawak government’s timber industry transformation and reformation initiatives towards promoting the production of high-value timber products using timber species from forest plantations.
“There is the need for a JV to invest in automation technology to enhance productivity and produce globally-accepted-standard products,” he said.
Tilling Timber Pte Ltd is Australia’s largest wholesaler of engineered wood products.
Its delegation was headed by the managing director Glenn Tilling, while Woodsfield was led by its managing director Eddie Ling.
Others present during the courtesy call were Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment’s acting permanent secretary Dzulkornain Masron, and STIDC general manager Datu Hashim Bojet.