BINTULU is capable of becoming the economic hub of Sarawak with Bintulu Town transforming fast to become an Industrial City. It has three main industrial zones namely, Tanjung Kidurong, Samalaju Industrial Park and Kemena Industrial Estate.
Samalaju assemblyman Datuk Majang Renggi, aims to further enhance the area, creating a more prosperous and conducive environment for its community.
New Sarawak Tribune: What is your vision for Samalaju?
Majang: To make Samalaju a better and prosperous place to live in, with a balanced development, economically, socially and respect for each other’s religious beliefs and cultures among the constituents of various nationalities and ethnic groups.
Are there any major challenges faced in your constituency?
Samalaju Industrial Park and Tanjung Kidurong are in dire need of more houses with more investments coming into the areas. Outsiders such as foreign workers and expatriates, Malaysians from Semenanjung and Sabah and Sarawakians from outside Bintulu coming to work and some eventually permanently reside here. They require various services and facilities such as houses, recreational facilities and ideal working and living environments. High demand for housing has led to soaring house prices in Bintulu, making it the highest in Sarawak. Development of housing especially affordable houses has been slow compared to industrial development, thus pushing house prices even further up and out of reach by the B40 and even middle-income groups.
What is the solution to these challenges?
I hope the relevant agencies can expedite the building of new houses especially the affordable ones with all the necessary infrastructures both at Samalaju Eco Park and Tanjung Kidurong/Sg Plan or coastal areas.
What are the big projects under construction in Samalaju constituency?
The major projects currently under construction are the Sarawak Petchem Methanol Plant, Tanjung Kidurong; Sarawak Medical Innovation and Technology Hub ( Smith ) at Tanjung Kidurong; Bintulu Additional Gas Sales Facility 2 ( BAGSF-2), Tanjung Kidurong; and OCIM Polycrystalline Silicon Manufacturing Plant, Samalaju Industrial Park. Meanwhile, the upcoming projects are the Integrated Low Carbon Silicon based Materials Factory at Samalaju Industrial Park; SEB Samalaju Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant; Wenan Steel’s Plant at Samalaju Industrial Park; Pertama Ferroalloys Smelting Plant Extension Project; Hydrogen Plant, Tanjung Kidurong; Bintulu-Samalaju Gas Pipeline Project; On-Shore Gas Plant 1 ( OGP-1) by SSB at Tanjung Kidurong; and On-Shore Gas Plant 2 (OGP-2) by PTTEP SK Hong Kong Offshore Ltd., at Tanjung Kidurong.
What are the impacts of these projects?
The influx of investors to set up their plants and factories in Samalaju and Tanjung Kidurong has created many job opportunities, contract works, services and supply chains. On average each company has employed more than 80 percent local Sarawakians and some companies have achieved more than 90 percent local content. Others who benefited from the influx of companies and people to Samalaju are the hotel and food industries, transportation and tourism sectors and those farmers who provide agriculture products to meet the needs of the ever growing population in Samalaju and Bintulu.
