Those billion ringgit deals
Published on: Sunday, April 10, 2022
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Credit: seekpng.com (For Illustration Purpose Only)
These include the billion dollar Liquefied Natural Gas facility in Sipitang with a capacity of 4 million tons per annum, another in the manufacture of silicon products, green technology, advanced materials and the development of a hydrogen-ammonia plant.
The success and achievement for a chief minister in just 12 months is simply amazing. None of the previous 11 Chief Ministers ever accomplished such achievements and therefore Hajiji deserves all the appreciation and congratulations.
However, as stated by Datuk John Lo (18th July 2021), many such projects do not take off based on his view that nothing ever gets done in Sabah.
Getting decisions and approvals is akin to “pushing a buffalo through the eye of a needle”. It should be noted that Lo is not your average layman on the street, he is a member of the government and therefore anything he says can be considered coming straight “from the horses mouth”.
The delivery system of the government has always been a major obstacle to economic progress in Sabah and therefore to all of Hajiji’s noble economic projects. It is noted that pushing a buffalo through the eye of the needle also applies to the Federal Government.
The recently announced coconut project in Pitas with an investment of over 400 million ringgit will no doubt meet the same fate should the land office take years to produce the lease for 4,000 of the required 10,000 hectares to sustain supply of coconuts.
It is also hoped that there will be strict monitoring of the land use as some investors are known to not keep the bargain and grow other cash crops like durian and oil palm when they fetch higher prices like now.
That goes also to the FMUs as some of them are said to be cultivated with oil palm for quick returns.
The proposed LPG plant in Brunei Bay, Sipitang with a capacity of 4 million tons amounts to production of over 300,000 tons per month. That implies LPG ship capacities of at least 100,000 tons will find it challenging in the Brunei Bay with a restrictive small area and shallow water.
The LPG Plant should logically be placed at Kimanis near the Petronas complex with access to open seas and deep water.
Similarly, the idea to introduce the world’s most modern and largest shipyard in Asia at Sipitang. The existing competition include Singapore, Johor, South Korea and China. They all have modern shipyards with many many years of experience and access to vibrant cities.
Sipitang is hardly the ‘happening place’ where ship captains will be attracted to have their ships refitted or repaired and it is unlikely the shipyard will handle ships exceeding 50,000 tons.
Common sense dictates a shipyard should be located in an area with open and deep water, not a restrictive bay area with shallow water.
Of course 300 years ago shipyards were located along river mouths and bays as they only catered for wooden ships up to 3,000 tons.
My objective in writing this piece is to suggest to the state government that in order for all these multi billion projects to succeed, as announced by Hajiji, the government must enlarge ‘the eye of the needle’ so the buffalo can be pushed through.
Kedayan
Weston
- The views expressed here are the views of the writer Kedayan and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express.
- If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
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