After two decades of its establishment, Evolusi Bersatu Sdn Bhd (EBSB), a local Kota Kinabalu-based oil and gas (O&G) service provider, has grown from strength to strength.
EBSB’s Managing Director, Hj Muhamad Bin Hj Tolling said the company is now fully equipped with a strong, 100 per cent local Sabahan multi-ethnic workforce, providing services in the areas of planned preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, delivery, installation, and re-commissioning.
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“Since our humble beginnings, we are now involved in most services within the industry and have managed to build the trust and value from our distinguished clients,” he told the Daily Express recently.
He said up to May this year EBSB, which was incorporated in June 2002, has completed more than 130 projects with over five million manhours without loss time injury (LTI).
“We have been awarded the Gold Class 1 Award by the Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) for two successive years (2019 and 2020) and also enrolled in PETRONAS’ HSE Contractor Mentorship Programme in October 2018,” he said.
Among the firm’s notable projects are the completion of procurement, supply, and commissioning of the instrument line for turnaround at three terminals for PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd’s facilities in Sabah and Labuan.
The company’s breakthrough came in 2019 when PETRONAS Carigali awarded it with a contract to carry out Onshore Maintenance, Modification and Construction (ONMCM) for its facilities in Sabah.
Muhamad attributed the company’s growth to the support from the company’s clients like PETRONAS as well as through the Sabah Government’s initiatives.
“The State Government provides a platform for a close engagement and networking with other players from all over Malaysia through various events. We have also been invited to a strategic engagement with investors and service providers,” he said.
Through EBSB’s proven track record, Muhamad said the company has been collaborating with state’s government-linked companies. “We’ve been given the opportunity to build and operate our own waste management facilities in Sabah Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) which will be the first in Sabah and targeted to kick start by 2024,” he said.
On human capital development, Muhamad said it is one of EBSB’s main emphasis, describing its workforce as its biggest asset.
“A significant amount of budget has been invested to groom our local workforce in development training for both soft and hard skills besides specialised training for our technical personnel.
“Currently the company has manpower strength of about 600 – fully equipped and talented locals from various backgrounds and trades to support the firm’s operations not only in the State but also in other regions like in Sarawak and Terengganu.
“This is how we create more value and build trust by expanding our business and growth throughout the country,” he added.
Every year, Muhamad said, the company hires fresh Sabahan graduates as mentees or trainees from various disciplines and provides them hands-on training, including attachment or mentoring with senior engineers onsite.
“For the semi-skilled workers, we engage closely with institutions like TAS Institute of Oil and Gas, Malaysian Construction Academy (ABM), National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) and Institut Latihan Perindustrian (ILP), by hiring their graduates and provide them with the necessary training,” he said.
A decade ago, he said, EBSB was quite concerned with the possibility of obtaining projects as they could hardly compete with big companies from other regions.
“Today, as part of support towards Sabah economic expediency and human capital growth, PETRONAS puts focus to local players’ involvement which EBSB has benefitted from.
“PETRONAS has initiated the Vendor Development Programme-X (VDPx), and EBSB has been appointed as one of the anchor companies in Sabah to assist and develop local companies’ readiness and capabilities and later involve actively in the industry,” he said.
Under the programme, EBSB has enrolled a Sabahan company, guiding it on matters such as licensing and certification from relevant agencies, as well as on HSE documentations, and improving its technical capabilities through existing EBSB’s work scope so that it can compete with peers in the industry.
“The programme has enabled local vendors obtain a proper guidance with direct involvement from anchor companies as mentors, in the hope that they will be able to improve their capabilities which, in turn, create more participations by local vendors in future.”
On EBSB’s plan to respond to energy transition, particularly in terms of capability, he said EBSB is aligned and responsive to any new requirements by clients as well as relevant authorities.
“As one of PETRONAS vendors, EBSB aims high to excel in its performance. Throughout our journey in this industry, we have always collaborated and complied with the authorities and our clients’ requirements and objectives,” he added.
“In terms of our readiness, we are focusing on the targets of environmental, social and governance. We are developing our organisation to merge these objectives; hence, we have started doing 360-degree maintenance plans to reduce carbon release and upfront preventive maintenance to support the zero emission. By adopting technology transfer, we have started to move from analogue to digital maintenance procedure.”
Muhamad expressed hope to see EBSB becoming a local leader in the O&G industry and able to compete in global market in near future.
“Through the continuous support and trust from PETRONAS, Petroleum Arrangement Contractors (PACs), and the Sabah Government, we want to create more value for our clients and be a reliable partner of choice, offering solutions to our customers while contributing to the local economic development,” he said.
