Sarawak seeks extra land for shipbuilding

The Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) in Borneo hopes to obtain another 49 hectares of land to facilitate the shipbuilding industry in the new township of Tanjung Manis in Sarikei.

Minister of Urban Development and Tourism said an earlier allocation of 81 hectares for the industry had been fully taken up by local and overseas shipbuilding companies. STIDC is co-ordinating the industrial development of the township which also houses the country’s second biggest deep-sea integrated fishing port.

He said the Tanjung Manis Shipbuilding zone would cater for the construction, repairs and maintenance of ocean liners and cargo vessels of up to 20,000 tonnes. If approved, the shipbuilding industry would have 130 hectares of land allocated to it. Sibu would be linked to Tanjung Manis when the 88-km long Sibu/Bawang Assan/Serdeng/Tanjung Manis Highway project is completed in 2009. The government is spending RM530 million for the project which is expected to attract more investments into the area once it is completed.