[Ferro-Alloys.com]KUCHING: Sarawak managed to attract the second highest investment in the country last year, which amounted to RM9.6 billion, after Johor (RM21.2 billion) and ahead of Penang (RM8.2 billion).

Industrial Development Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the figure was 15.7 per cent more than the RM8.3 billion in 2013.

“In terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), Sarawak actually performed very well by attracting the highest foreign investment amounting to RM8.4 billion in 2014, ahead of Johor (RM7.86 billion) and Penang (RM5.11 billion).

“The remaining RM1.2 billion came from direct domestic investment (DDI),” Awang Tengah, who is also Bukit Sari assemblyman, said in his winding-up speech for the Industrial Development Ministry at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

He said the major sources of foreign investment came from Japan with RM5.1 billion in chemical products (polysilicon) and Japan/South Africa/Taiwan joint venture with an investment of RM1.25 billion in basic metal products (ferro manganese).

Apart from that, he said the foreign investment also came from a Malaysia/Singapore joint venture in basic metal products (ferro manganese) with an investment of RM0.39 billion and RM1.22 billion in basic metal products (metallic silicon).

Awang Tengah stated that the domestic investments were mainly in basic metal products (metallic silicon) totalling RM908.3 million and basic metal products (ferro manganese) amounting to RM97.5 million.

“These investments are expected to generate about 2,522 direct employment opportunities in the state.”

In addition, he said the state Industrial Coordination Committee (ICC) had also approved 56 projects worth RM575.9 million last year.

“Out of RM575.9 million approved, RM572.9 million or 99.5 per cent came from DDI while RM3 million or 0.5 per cent came from FDI.

“The major sources of foreign investment came from Taiwan with an investment of RM0.2 million in wood-based industry and RM2.5 million in electrical and electronics industry as well as China with an investment of RM0.3 million in wood-based industry.”

The domestic investments, he continued, were also in warehousing and logistics, food processing, wood-based and non-metallic mineral products.

“These investments are expected to generate about 2,088 direct employment opportunities in the state.”

He said there were 19 approved projects with an investment amount of RM30.44 billion in Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and these projects were expected to generate 16,044 direct employment opportunities.

“Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu has the most number of projects with an investment amount of RM25.18 billion, followed by a project in Tanjung Kidurong (RM2.55 billion), two projects in Tanjung Manis (RM2.11 billion) and a project in Mukah (RM0.6 billion).”

He also said SCORE would continue to be the main catalyst for growth and industrialisation for Sarawak, adding that the investment in SCORE had exceeded the ministry’s expectation.

“Project delivery and performance have been substantially better than many other corridors, thus building a base of solid confidence amongst investors.”

• [Editor:liujianwei]