SIPITANG: Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick is confident that the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (Sogip) will serve as a key driver of the Sabah First agenda, particularly in generating employment opportunities and increasing income for Sabahans.
The Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transportation Minister said that based on a briefing from Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC), about 90 per cent of Sogip’s total area has been committed to approved investments.
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“This clearly demonstrates the high confidence investors have in Sogip’s industrial area potential,” said Ewon during a media interview following his visit to the SOGDC office at Sogip, here, Saturday.
“I am very confident that Sogip will not only contribute revenue to the State Government, but also provide significant employment opportunities for Sabahans, especially local graduates and residents in Sipitang,” he said.
Ewon conducted a working visit to Sogip to assess the development of the oil and gas industrial park managed by SOGDC, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transportation.
He is confident that several other approved investments will start their respective projects at Sogip early next year, further strengthening Sogip’s position as the State’s strategic industrial hub.
“I believe SOGDC will continue contributing to the development of income-earning Sabahans through high-impact investments and enterprises being implemented at Sogip,” he said.
“I also shared the Ministry’s vision and direction, and hope the Sabah First team at SOGDC will continue to be empowered to provide quality services to all stakeholders, including realising projected dividend payments to the Sabah State Government,” he said.
Earlier, Ewon officiated at a groundbreaking ceremony for E-Concern Borneo’s Scheduled Waste Management Facility, involving a total investment of approximately RM1.1 billion to be implemented in four phases.
He subsequently visited and inspected Esteel’s investment implementation at Sogip, which involves a total investment value of approximately RM31 billion, making it among the largest industrial investments currently.
Ewon was also taken to inspect the implementation of Esteel’s private jetty project, an important component in the company’s overall industrial chain currently under active construction.
He was also briefed on additional land requirements for the next investment phase.
During his site visit, Ewon also inspected Petroventure Energy Sdn Bhd’s Petroleum Oil Storage and Refinery Plant Project at Lot 2.4 in Sogip.
The project encompasses the development of a large-scale petroleum storage terminal and a modern refinery complex, supported by comprehensive infrastructure including deep-sea jetties, utilities systems, industrial safety facilities and environmentally compliant management systems.
He expressed the State Government’s support for the strategic investment, pointing out its potential to strengthen Sabah’s downstream oil and gas ecosystem, create high-skilled employment opportunities for Sabahans, enhance value-added processing of petroleum resources and stimulate local and regional economic growth.
He also pointed out the importance of strict compliance with regulatory requirements, industrial safety standards, and environmental sustainability throughout the project’s development and operational phases.
Additionally, Ewon visited the PFLNG 3 project office at Sogip and received a briefing on Petronas operations there, including developments on the PFLNG 3 project and Sipitang Utilities currently under construction, as well as Petronas Chemicals Fertiliser (Samur) operations.
He also visited the MOLF project site by Sogip Port Sdn Bhd, receiving briefings from respective chief executive officers.
“I am very confident that SOGDC will continue contributing to the development of income-earning Sabahans through high-impact investments and enterprises at Sogip.
“I also hope the Sabah First team at SOGDC will continue to be empowered to ensure the best services for stakeholders and sustainable returns to the State Government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Petroventure Energy Sdn Bhd Executive Chairman cum Chief Executive Officer Dr Mohd Sham Mohd Yasin expressed appreciation to the State Government and relevant agencies for their continued support and collaboration.
He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to implement the project in a phased, competitive and sustainable manner, in line with Sabah’s long-term industrial and energy development aspirations.
Accompanying Ewon during the visit was the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Thomas Logijin and SOGDC Chief Executive Officer Mohamad Azmir Ramli, among others.
