Author: Alvin Tang

Japan’s plywood imports from M’sia drops 5 pct

KUCHING: Japan’s total imports of plywood from Malaysia dipped by about five percent in January and February 2019 from a year ago. In February, Japan imported 86,500 cubic metres (cu m) of plywood from Malaysia, which was lower by 7.2 percent as compared to January this year. During the first two

Sarawak bans import of plywood of 6mm or more thickness

KUCHING: Sarawak has banned the import of ordinary plywood with thickness of 6mm and above. This comes following the revision of the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) Registration Conditions and Restrictions from April 18, 2019. The salient terms of revision include ‘Importation of ordinary plywood for thickness of 6mm and

SCable to go ‘back to basics’, scaling down loss-making businesses

KUCHING: Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCable) will refocus on its core manufacturing business while scaling down its loss-making construction and aviation businesses. Managing director Datuk Ahmad Redza Abdullah said SCable had resolved to go ‘back to basics’ and become a cable centric company once again. “The group intends to re-align its

Ta Ann working to diversify from plywood production

KUCHING: Ta Ann Holdings Bhd is working to utilise its plantation logs to produce other value-added timber products aside from plywood. Group managing director and CEO Datuk Wong Kuo Hea said Ta Ann’s timber business is going through a challenging period due mainly to rising production cost, emergence of substitute

WTK sees better days ahead for its oil palm biz

KUCHING: WTK Holdings Bhd foresees better performance of its oil palm business with anticipated significant increase in fresh fruit bunch (FFB) production and higher output of its sole palm oil mill this year. WTK, which is one of Sarawak’s top six timber groups, expects its FFB production to rise by

Dayang records sharp increase in gross margin

KUCHING: Dayang Enterprise Holdings Bhd (Dayang), a leading oil & gas player, has recorded a sharp increase in gross margin and improved vessel utilisation rate. According to managing director Tengku Datuk Yusof Tengku Ahmad Shahruddin, the group’s gross margin has shown a vast improvement to 41 percent last year from

Ibraco’s new sales strategy cuts its unsold properties

KUCHING: Property developer Ibraco Bhd has reduced considerably its unsold properties as its new sales strategy has boosted sales. Managing director Datuk Chew Chiaw Han said the group’s inventories had fallen to RM55.9 million in 2018 from RM87.9 million in 2017 or down by about RM32 million or 36 percent.  

Leader Steel buys land for its expansion in East M’sia

KUCHING: Leader Steel Holdings Bhd (LSteel) is buying a piece of industrial land in Sejingkat Industrial Park here for RM9.8 million to facilitate the group’s expansion in East Malaysia. Wholly-owned subsidiary Leader Steel Sdn Bhd (LSSB) has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sumbumi Sdn Bhd

HSL: Miri wastewater job moving ahead of schedule

KUCHING: Hock Seng Lee Bhd’s (HSL) RM333 million Miri wastewater project is progressing ahead of schedule, according to its chairman Datuk Idris Buang. With tunnelling works for the project about 45 percent completed, he said the project is targeting a mid-2021 completion. To recap, HSL was awarded the project in

Steel water pipes demand to fuel KKB’s growth

KUCHING: The demand for steel water pipes is a key factor that is likely to fuel the future growth of KKB Engineering Bhd. According to KKB, the demand for steel water pipes is expected to remain firm, buoyed by on-going and upcoming projects planned under the Sarawak state water grid when