Masidi representing the Chief Minister in doing the launching gimmick.
KOTA KINABALU: The East Coast, in particular Lahad Datu, will greatly benefit following the launch of three investments at the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Lahad Datu, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
“The wide spillover effect that these three investments will bring to POIC Lahad Datu is tremendous. From a broader state perspective, these new investments answer our desire to grow the east coast of Sabah as a new economic growth area through industrialisation,” he said.
The Chief Minister said this at the launching ceremony of the Neptune Oil Storage Terminal and Refinery in POIC, Lahad Datu, Exchange of Documents Between POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd and TS Asia, Jetama Sdn Bhd and Legenda Biomass Sdn Bhd at Hyatt Regency Hotel here today. His speech was read by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
The Chief Minister said industrialisation in various forms has been a fixture in Sabah’s East Coast towns like Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau, but the intensifying industrial activities and the presence of a comprehensive port at POIC Lahad Datu marked a concerted effort at unleashing the economic potentials of the east coast.
Hajiji noted that Jetama’s joint effort with POIC Sabah to introduce a desalination modular system to produce industrial water was a first for Sabah.
“This innovative modular facility can process both seawater and brackish water, with an initial daily capacity of 500,000 litres, scalable up to 4 million litres per day.
“As we continue to tackle the water supply challenges in Sabah, Jetama’s investment paves the way for an additional source of industrial water, making it possible to divert the drinkable water in our system for household and commercial consumption,” he said.
As for the Legenda Biomass investment at POIC Lahad Datu, the Chief Minister is
confident of a breakthrough in these ‘waste to wealth’ or biomass waste by producing a wide range of products from biochemicals, carbon-based products, green energy and bio fertilisers.
“I am pleased that there has been progress since the State’s Oil Palm Biomass Policy
took effect last year,” he said.
Hajiji also welcomed the fuel storage complex, with plans for future refining activities being set up by TS Asia Green Infrastructure, which reaffirmed Sabah’s belief in the future potential of this sector.
“It is good to know of TS Asia’s plan to lease 110.12 acres for its initial phase of
investment, with provision for 300 additional acres.
“With that in place, it is estimated that up to 3,500 jobs will be created, of which a
significant number will be skilled workers. This is significant in absorbing the increasing number of trained manpower among Sabah’s youth.
“TS Asia will also contribute to strengthening Malaysia’s move towards developing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)- workers.
“We are confident that the TSA business will lead to greater shipping activities in the region and extensive utilisation of the comprehensive port infrastructure within the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park,” he said.
The growing shipping and logistics activities augured well with Sabah’s plan to build the BIMP-EAGA Maritime Academy to train manpower needed in the maritime industry and promote regulatory discipline in the region’s maritime sector, he said.
