Latest news with #SarawakGovernment
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Abang Johari: Sarawak charts own path in energy with statewide piped gas plan backed by Petros
BINTULU, July 23 — Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg has reaffirmed the Sarawak government's strong commitment to expanding piped gas infrastructure to every household in the state – a move aimed at enhancing energy accessibility and economic equity. Speaking to reporters after launching the piped natural gas supply to homes in Sungai Plan here today, Abang Johari said the initiative is part of a long-term master plan to ensure Sarawakians benefit directly from the state's own gas resources. 'This is just the beginning of our effort to supply gas to our people so they can enjoy the benefits of the gas extracted in our own backyard,' he said. He cited a successful pilot project in the Quadruplex Taman Ceria (QTC) housing area in Miri, where residents have seen savings of up to 40 per cent or around RM40 monthly after switching from gas cylinders to piped delivery. Determined to extend these benefits across Sarawak, the premier unveiled the Sarawak Gas Roadmap, which outlines a statewide piped gas distribution system. 'We are developing a network of gas distribution hubs throughout Sarawak in Bintulu, Kuching, Miri, and possibly Sibu from where piped gas can be channelled to surrounding areas, even reaching remote towns like Kapit,' he said. According to him, the concept of piped gas is not new to Sarawak, citing earlier systems in Lutong, Sarawak and Seria, Brunei, that predate the formation of Malaysia. Abang Johari emphasised that Sarawak's legal framework, particularly the Sarawak Gas Distribution Ordinance, remains intact and continues to empower the state to regulate and manage its own gas sector. Under this framework, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) has been formally appointed the sole gas aggregator for Sarawak, with full authority to manage supply from upstream to end users. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for endorsing this via a joint declaration between the federal and state governments, which enabled Petros to operate as the sole legal and operational aggregator. 'All companies involved in the gas business must comply with our existing laws. This is a people-centric project, and through the hub-and-spoke model, it will benefit not just urban dwellers but rural communities as well,' he said. The roadmap, he added, will offer tiered benefits across various user groups – residential homes, SMEs, and heavy industries such as methanol production – with rates based on consumption levels. 'The greatest impact will be on ordinary Sarawakians, especially B40 households and those with lower incomes, by easing their cost of living,' he said. Abang Johari also welcomed the federal government's latest cost-of-living measures announced today, including fuel price reductions and other incentives. 'PMX announced his support, and we too are helping our people. Thank you for the initiatives. It shows that the people of Sarawak benefit both from Kuala Lumpur and from Petra Jaya, Kuching,' he said. Also present at the event were deputy premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian, Petros chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamid Bugo and other state Cabinet ministers and their deputies. — The Borneo Post
Daily Express
19-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Petros gears for more profits, jobs. Now nation's No. 3 player after Petronas and Shell within just seven years
Published on: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 19, 2025 By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: Joseph said the Kuching project would begin with LNG-to-power infrastructure followed by industrial park development and culminate in high-value manufacturing including low-carbon hydrogen for steel production and ammonia for fertilisers. KUCHING: Sarawak through Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) is bent on creating more jobs and making sure bigger profits stay in the State by moving towards downstream processing instead of just pumping out raw oil and gas and selling them. 'For decades, Sarawak mostly just dug up raw materials and shipped them out … extract, export, repeat,' said Petros Senior Vice President of Growth Datuk Joseph Podtung. Advertisement 'There was not much processing of these materials or strong supporting businesses around them, which meant no ripple effect of economic benefits,' he said. The result, he said, has been shortened value chains, limited spin-offs and few high-income careers. 'Instead of continuing this approach, Petros is changing from simply producing large amounts of raw gas to focusing on creating products from it,' he said, citing turning natural gas into methanol, hydrogen and ammonia before advancing to more sophisticated manufacturing. 'We are not saying no to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). In fact LNG is important because it brings hard currency. It keeps our hub full. It makes Sarawak globally relevant. 'But, if we continue to export, we miss a far greater opportunity in industries, jobs and innovations that will eventually be created through domestic development that allow value chains to be created,' he said. 'Sarawak holds 60 per cent of Malaysia's total natural gas reserves and operates the cleanest electricity grid in the region at just 0.19 kg CO2 per kWh, primarily from hydroelectric power,' he said. 'Sarawak has all the inherent ingredients to unlock the low-carbon economy in this region. It is not just resource-rich, it is development-ready,' he added. He said the Sarawak Gas Roadmap, launched in 2021, is a 10-year strategic plan by the Sarawak Government led by Petros and centres on four development hubs across the State. 'In Miri, the first onshore gas drilling project in over 30 years is underway and a new 500-megawatt power plant is expected to be commissioned by 2027. 'Samalaju will benefit from a 65km pipeline from Bintulu due for completion by year-end, while Bintulu's petrochemical hub has already begun operations with a methanol plant,' he said. Additionally, he said Petros is planning a low-carbon industrial hub through a three-wave approach. 'Currently, Kuching lacks pipeline gas infrastructure, relying instead on diesel and imported LPG. 'Can you imagine, in the capital of an energy-rich State, Kuching has no pipeline gas. 'Without action now, Kuching may not be able to shape the low-carbon economy in Sarawak and beyond,' he said. He said the Kuching project would begin with LNG-to-power infrastructure followed by industrial park development and culminate in high-value manufacturing including low-carbon hydrogen for steel production and ammonia for fertilisers. He pointed out that Petros has secured two anchor partners – China Jiangsu International and Sumitomo Corporation – selected from over 300 candidates. 'These two anchor partners have vast experience in developing industrial parks, not only domestically but internationally. Together, we are not building a facility, we are building an ecosystem.' He said the economic impact is substantial, pointing out that at full scale, the Sarawak Gas Roadmap is expected to deliver RM300 billion in investment, generate RM120 billion in annual output, comparable to the projected Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and create 180,000 jobs. 'This is about leverage, turning our resources into hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, into high-value manufacturing that produces advanced materials and low-carbon products. 'In doing so, we keep the economic value of energy circulating within our own economy, not just extracting, but multiplying,' he said. He pointed out that Petros, which was established in 2017, is now Malaysia's third-largest oil producer after Petronas and Shell and has already invested RM15 billion in the roadmap across various projects. 'Sarawak is not speculating. We are executing. We have the ingredients, the roadmap and momentum. Our strategy is about moving from volume to value and from resource to resilience,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Malay Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Sarawak to build 20,000 affordable homes by 2030 amid housing mismatch, says deputy premier
KUCHING, July 6 — The Sarawak Government is planning to build 20,000 units of affordable housing between 2026 and 2030 under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), as part of its commitment to ensure more Sarawakians have access to decent and affordable homes. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the move comes in response to a growing mismatch between the number of available housing units and the actual number of households across the state. Speaking at the 2025 Azmi Real Estate Annual Gala Dinner here last night, Dr Sim cited 2023 statistics showing that Sarawak had about 770,000 housing units, while the number of heads of households was only around 630,000. 'This shows an excess of around 140,000 housing units, largely due to rural-to-urban migration and the purchase of homes for investment purposes,' he was quoted as saying in a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas). Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, stressed that the state government is working hard to correct this imbalance and ensure housing development meets the real needs of the people. 'Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), we only managed to build 3,000 units. But under the 13MP, from next year until 2030, the Sarawak Economic Planning Unit (EPU) is proposing a total of 20,000 units. That's a jump from 3,000 to 20,000,' he said. To make homeownership more accessible, especially for low-income earners, Dr Sim said the state has introduced a number of support measures, including a RM10,000 deposit assistance scheme for first-time homebuyers and housing loans with interest rates as low as one per cent for the B40 group. He added that these low-interest loans are provided through the state's own financial body, Mutiara Mortgage and Credit, for homes priced under RM300,000. — The Borneo Post
Borneo Post
06-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Dr Sim: Sarawak govt plans to build 20,000 affordable homes under 13MP
Dr Sim (left) receives a memento from a representative of Azmi Real Estate Agency during the gala dinner in Kuching. — Ukas photo KUCHING (July 6): The Sarawak Government is planning to build 20,000 units of affordable housing between 2026 and 2030 under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), as part of its commitment to ensure more Sarawakians have access to decent and affordable homes. Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the move comes in response to a growing mismatch between the number of available housing units and the actual number of households across the state. Speaking at the 2025 Azmi Real Estate Annual Gala Dinner here last night, Dr Sim cited 2023 statistics showing that Sarawak had about 770,000 housing units, while the number of heads of households was only around 630,000. 'This shows an excess of around 140,000 housing units, largely due to rural-to-urban migration and the purchase of homes for investment purposes,' he was quoted as saying in a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas). Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, stressed that the state government is working hard to correct this imbalance and ensure housing development meets the real needs of the people. 'Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), we only managed to build 3,000 units. But under the 13MP, from next year until 2030, the Sarawak Economic Planning Unit (EPU) is proposing a total of 20,000 units. That's a jump from 3,000 to 20,000,' he said. To make homeownership more accessible, especially for low-income earners, Dr Sim said the state has introduced a number of support measures, including a RM10,000 deposit assistance scheme for first-time homebuyers and housing loans with interest rates as low as one per cent for the B40 group. He added that these low-interest loans are provided through the state's own financial body, Mutiara Mortgage and Credit, for homes priced under RM300,000. 13th Malaysia Plan affordable housing Dr Sim Kui Hian lead
The Sun
29-06-2025
- The Sun
KDJA journalists explore Mulu Pinnacles for Sarawak Day
MULU: A group of 10 local journalists from various media agencies has embarked on a four-day expedition to Gunung Api in Mulu National Park, organised by the Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA). The event, held in conjunction with Sarawak Day on July 22, aims to showcase the state's unique tourism offerings, including the UNESCO-listed Mulu Pinnacles. KDJA president Ronnie Teo stated that the expedition continues the association's annual climbing initiative, which began in 2018 at Mount Kinabalu. He emphasised the Sarawak Premier's support in encouraging media professionals to push their limits beyond their usual roles. 'This year, we chose the Mulu Pinnacles as our challenge, exclusively for KDJA members. We also hope to maintain our collaboration with the Sarawak Government for future editions,' Teo said in a statement. Participants include representatives from The Borneo Post, Bernama, Dayak Daily, Suara Sarawak, CatsFM, See Hua, and TVS. The itinerary includes visits to Deer Cave and Lang Cave, a nine-kilometre trek to Camp 5, and the main ascent to the iconic limestone formations. The Sarawak Government backs the programme as part of Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg's efforts to promote the state's tourism ahead of Sarawak Day.
