Kuching Kampung Heritage

CM to officiate S’wak trade, tourism office in S’pore today

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Abdul Qaiyum AlidinNo Comments

SINGAPORE: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg will be officiating the soft opening of Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (Statos) here today. The office, which is located at Robinson Road, is to serve as a one-stop centre to promote tourism and agricultural products from Sarawak while at the same time bring in more investments, promote trade and attract more tourists to the state. The event is expected to be attended by around 100 invited guests from Sarawak and Singapore including deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah and Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing as well as acting State Secretary Datu Jaul Samion. The initiative to set up Statos in Singapore was announced by Abang Johari last year during the Sarawak International Business Exhibition and Conference (SIBEC). He said then that the Singapore government had agreed to have the state’s own office in the island nation, which will be the hub of communication between the state’s exporters and the business community...

Syarikat Sarawak digalak manfaat kemudahan pelaburan disediakan kerajaan persekutuan

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Naziatul AssiqinNo Comments

TERIMA KASIH: Arham menyampaikan cenderamata kepada Pengerusi Serba Dinamik Sdn Bhd Abdul Kadier Sahib (kiri) yang merupakan salah seorang penceramah jemputan sempena seminar. — Gambar Muhammad Rais Sanusi KUCHING: Pemain syarikat domestik Sarawak digalakkan untuk memanfaatkan sepenuhnya kemudahan pelaburan yang disediakan kerajaan persekutuan untuk bergerak ke arah Industri 4.0. Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif I Lembaga Pembangunan Pelaburan Malaysia (MIDA) Arham Abdul Rahman berkata, kerajaan berusaha menyediakan kemudahan menerusi pelbagai insiatif bagi membantu golongan berkenaan dalam mengembangkan pelaburan mereka. “Ia termasuk pakej insentif seperti Status Perintis, Elaun Cukai Pelaburan dan Dana Strategik Pelaburan Domestik. “Terdapat juga insentif pengeluaran robotik iaitu Elaun Modal Automasi untuk menggalakkan automasi dalam industri pengilangan dan Skim Pinjaman Mudah untuk Automasi dan Modenisasi (SLAM) untuk meningkatkan proses, keupayaan pengeluaran dan kepelbagaian dalam aktiviti nilai tambah lebih tinggi,” ujarnya. Beliau berkata demikian berucap pada Majlis Pelancaran Seminar Pelaburan Domestik Sarawak yang disempurnakan Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan di sini, semalam. Arham berkata selain itu, MIDA juga menggalakkan bukan sahaja untuk mengguna...

Telcos to provide Internet access to schools

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

The three ISPs will also provide Internet service to several sections at the ministry and 366 teachers’ activity centres nationwide. File Photo PUTRAJAYA: Three internet service providers (ISPs), namely Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Celcom Axiata Bhd and Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd will supply Internet access to schools nationwide from July 1, for six months, the Education Ministry said yesterday. The three ISPs will also provide Internet service to several sections at the ministry and 366 teachers’ activity centres nationwide. “The ministry will choose a new Internet service provider for the period from Jan 1, 2020,” the ministry said. — Bernama [Source: "Telcos to provide Internet access to schools" published by BorneoPost Online / Bernama] Photo Credits: BorneoPost Online / Bernama Retrieved from https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/06/28/telcos-to-provide-internet-access-to-schools/...

Go further downstream

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

Chief Minister tells plywood mills to move to a ‘higher-level’ by manufacturing furniture, flooring products to remain in business Abang Johari rides a bicycle made from bamboo, which is a memento for him. Seen from left are Naroden, Hashim, Awang Tengah and Len Talif. — Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has acknowledged that local plywood mills have fallen on hard times, but urged industry players to change in order to survive. He said that plywood industry operators who are exporting the raw material needed to shift to a ‘higher level’ rather than continue their export business. “Yes (the local plywood industry is a sunset industry). That’s why we have to shift. Previously, we were exporting plywood. Now, you got the raw material here, you shift to (a) higher level. “You don’t have to export plywood all the time. You export the furniture, because plywood can be a raw material (which) can produce high- or added-value products,” he...

Sarawak’s Power Play

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

Two sudden blackouts across Sarawak many weeks ago brought about the realisation of how important it was for the state to have consistent power and electricity supply. As more commercial and industrial developments blossom all over the state, the need to maintain an undisrupted power supply to alleviate potential loss of business is of top priority in the state’s economic development agenda. Higher demand arising from organic growth coupled with higher consumption especially from energy intensive multinationals at the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) region will fuel the need for additional capacity for power. Industry players believed the prospects for the power industry are bright as demand for power is poised to grow exponentially over the next few decades. Besides, the ability to ensure constant supply of electricity and power will be a key catalyst to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the state. Additionally, continuous interests shown by investors to invest in Sarawak by setting up their operations in the SCORE region...

Biggest Digital Influencers’ Convention underway in Sabah

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Assaffal P. Alian standing in the middle (seventh right) with Ken Pan (eighth right), chairman of Sabah Tourism; Datuk KL Tan (sixth left), president of MATTA Malaysia; Srinjay Sengupta (fifth left), Co-Founder of Travel Earth India with the rest of the sponsors during the launching of Digital Influencers’ Convention. KOTA KINABALU: Digital Influencers’ Convention and Earthy Awards, organized and spearheaded by Travel.Earth, an Indian travel media company, started in Sabah yesterday. The event saw a huge response since its first announcement. With over 300 applicants registering for the event, a select 54 have been chosen to attend the event. These participants will witness various aspects of Sabah and its local culture on two days of tours. This will be followed by two days of a convention with various sessions targeted at understanding digital platforms, influencer marketing and its benefits. The audience will benefit from various presentations by speakers with immense experience in their respective fields. Meera Muhunthan of Twitter...

Sarawak dijamin tidak akan muflis dalam tiga tahun

30/06/201930/06/2019 by Naziatul AssiqinNo Comments

PENGHARGAAN: Awang Tengah menerima cenderamata daripada Arham (dua kiri) sebagai tanda penghargaan selepas majlis pelancaran semalam. Turut kelihatan Naroden (kanan) dan Mussen (kiri). — Gambar Muhammad Rais Sanusi KUCHING: Sarawak dijamin tidak akan muflis dalam tempoh tiga tahun seperti yang diramalkan Menteri Kewangan persekutuan sebelum ini, kata Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan. Beliau menegaskan, Sarawak telah dinilai oleh agensi penarafan antarabangsa seperti Moody’s dan Standard & Poor selama bertahun-tahun. Menurutnya, malahan kedua-duanya telah mengesahkan penarafan kredit pelaburan negeri masing-masing pada A3 dan A-. “Begitu juga, Ketua Audit Negara telah memberi Sarawak Sijil Audit Bersih bagi Kewangan untuk tempoh 17 tahun berturut-turut. “Belanjawan kerajaan Sarawak sentiasa mencatatkan lebihan selama bertahun-tahun. Kami mempunyai sumber pendapatan yang mantap terutama menerusi pelaksanaan cukai jualan ke atas produk petroleum untuk eksport. “Ini semua aliran pendapatan baharu ke negeri dan kami tidak bergantung sepenuhnya kepada rizab negeri,” ujarnya pada perasmian Seminar Pelaburan Domestik Sarawak anjuran bersama Lembaga Pembangunan Pelaburan Malaysia (MIDA) dan Kementerian Pembangunan Perindustrian dan Usahawan di...

Perak SADC to initiate RM1 bil Agrovalley project

23/06/201926/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu. (Bernama pic) IPOH: The Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation (SADC) will initiate the Perak Agrovalley project with a targeted investment of RM1 billion. Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the project would be introduced with integrated development features involving investment in agriculture technology by government agencies and the private sector. He said the project, drawn up by the Perak SADC in collaboration with the Agriculture Department, Fisheries Department, Veterinary Services Department, Area Farmers Organisation and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, would be developed on 1,983ha of land. “This project, with an integrated agriculture concept, will involve the cultivation of cash crops, vegetables and fruit trees as well as livestock farming, depending on the topography of the area,” he told reporters after chairing a special meeting of the Perak SADC board of directors here today. Faizal said the SADC had also drawn up and implemented a number of integrated agricultural projects with the rakyat on farms belonging to the corporation. “One of...

Malaysia’s Kenanga Investors launches fund for investing in unicorns

23/06/201923/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

The Malaysia-based investor firm said the fund seeks to provide investments to unicorn startupsz Kenanga Investors Berhad (“Kenanga Investors”), a subsidiary of Kenanga Investment Bank, announced that it has launched Kenanga Global Unicorn 1 (KGU1), which aims for medium-term returns by investing in unicorn companies. The fund feeds into the Ericsenz-K2 Global Unicorn Fund, which involves two VC firms (Ericsenz and K2 Global) heading the investment strategy. It will be managed by Ericsenz Capital, a Singapore-based venture capital and private equity firm. The VC typically invests in high growth middle-market companies primarily within the technology, healthcare, consumer, and energy sector. For K2 Global, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm will help with accessing late-stage private technology companies located in tech hubs. Unicorns are privately held startup companies, with near term visibility of an IPO within 6 – 24 months and are valued at over USD$1billion. “Unicorn companies were much rarer two to three years ago, but now there are between 80 and 100 each year attaining...

More local companies benefitting from trade war

23/06/201923/06/2019 by Charmaine Yeap Xun FangNo Comments

PETALING JAYA: At least two more locally listed companies have jumped on the bandwagon to explore new opportunities stemming from the escalating US-China trade war. According to PIE group managing director Alvin Mui(pic), some of these projects came to PIE as a result of the US-China trade war. “Some multi-national corporations in China are giving us the projects so that they can ship the products to the US from Malaysia,” he said. Penang-based PIE Industrial Bhd is negotiating to secure electronic manufacturing projects with China-based parties while Johor-based furniture maker Wegmans Holdings Bhd is said to be in talks with China partners who are keen to use the latter’s facilities in Malaysia for their future exports. Wegmans officials also recently said that the company has continued to receive high number of enquiries and sales leads from US customers who are looking to shift their orders to Southeast Asia. For PIE, it is currently negotiating to secure five electronic manufacturing projects that would generate a...