KUCHING: Sarawak is charting its course as a major player in oil and gas exploration following its plan to construct a deep sea port in the state’s southern region.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said it is hoped that with these outlined plans, Sarawak can become the hub of economic activities in the region by 2030.
“For the south, we are going to build a new port, and this is going to be a deep (sea) port.
“Then we are going to build a cluster within the port, where one is for general cargo and the one is for oil and gas hubs from the south,” he said.
He said this during the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy’s (SCORE) 15th anniversary dinner at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night (Nov 17).
Abang Johari, who is also the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) chairman hoped that with these outlined plans, Sarawak can become the hub of economic activities in the region by 2030.
Also present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also the Highland Development Agency (HDA) chairman; Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who is also the Northern Region Development Agency (NDA) chairman; Federal Minister of Works Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who is also the chairman of the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) and RECODA chief executive officer Datuk Ismawi Ismuni.
Last year, it was previously reported that the state government is conducting a study to build a new deep sea port at Tanjung Embang to serve the southern region of Sarawak.
The Premier had witnessed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the proposed port development between Antwerp-Bruges Port and Hubline Berhad.
The Antwerp-Bruges Port is the second largest international container port in Europe and the 14th in the world while Hubline is a local company involved in bulk shipping logistics services.
Abang Johari added that the entire Tg Embang will be developed by the ASSAR Group, an investment holding company wholly owned by the Sarawak government.
The proposed port development with the concept of integration with industrial development is one of the two deep sea ports that will be developed under the Post-Covid-19 Strategic Plan (PCDS 2030).
