LAHAD DATU: Concrete moves towards strengthening Sabah’s infrastructure will ensure the state making a meaningful contribution to the success of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030.
“Impediments in our infrastructure, particularly water and electricity supply, have hampered our attempts to draw investments, but the path forward is now clear, especially with the steadfast state leadership and the solid plans,” said POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd Chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.
Speaking in conjunction with the arrival of the last batch of batteries for the battery energy storage system that arrived from China through the POIC Port here, he said the plans will not only boost Sabah’s industrial competitiveness but will ensure the growth of the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park.
The BESS project, located at Jalan Dam here, is set to begin operation this June. It has a storage capacity of 100 megawatt and is expected to have a major impact on ensuring uninterrupted power supply. It is reported to be the biggest such project in Southeast Asia, and costs just under RM700 million.
Addressing a gathering that included visiting Sabah Electricity Chairman Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, Yong who is also Nominated Assemblyman commended on the BESS project as move deserving of a long-suffering power supply situation plagued by years of frequent outages and breakdowns.
He credited a “outstanding collaboration’ between POIC Port and Sabah Electricity over a period of about three months that resulted in an incident-free series of manoeuvring and handling 188 pieces of batteries.
He added that initiatives such as in grid upgrade, hydroelectricity, renewable energy and the purchase of electricity from neighbour Sarawak have placed electricity supply in Sabah on an assured path.
He also noted the “clear direction’ demonstrated in Madius’ leadership, including the wider pursuit of gas-power generation and the carbon-neutral goals.
On water supply, he noted the Sabah Water Supply Master Plan and sizeable funding for water output, treatment and distribution will lead to Sabah attaining its goals of water supply security’.
Yong also disclosed POIC Lahad Datu’s plan to produce industrial water to supply to industries within the park.
“While there are plans (by the Sabah Water Department) to raise water supply in Lahad Datu, our move toward producing industrial water will (in the immediate term) result in more water being diverted to household consumers,” Yong said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan is focused on multiple sectors some of which – manufacturing, food processing, halal products, petrol/petrochemical, palm-oil based products, shipbuilding and repair – aligned with industries promoted in POIC Lahad Datu.
A recent agreement with a Singapore-based entity has set in motion a USD 2 billion fuel storage and petroleum complex at POIC Lahad Datu where a plan has been in place for a halal park to leverage on the seaweed and marine resources in the Brunei, Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asean Growth Area region which has a population of about 80 million, mostly Muslims.
That the deep POIC Lahad Datu Port lies in the path of ships sailing past the Makassar Straits through the Celebes Sea into the South China Sea could bring tremendous prospects in ship-related ventures.
