Taib: Brooke Dockyard can become a giant

Taib: Brooke Dockyard can become a giant
Posted on July 15, 2012, Sunday

KUCHING: Brooke Dockyard and Engineering Works Corporation needs a detailed expansion plan in order to become a more prominent player in the engineering and petroleum-related industry.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who said this, believed there is a place in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) for the corporation.

But the size of the economic cake it could take from SCORE depended very much on its future planning and restructuring exercise, said Taib at the 100th anniversary dinner of Brooke Dockyard at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Friday.

“I would like to see Brooke Dockyard come out with some proposals within a year’s time to see how we can expand Brooke Dockyard to play a greater role in tandem with the new era of more aggressive industrialisation in Sarawak.”

The chief minister noted that the reorganisation exercise undertaken by Brooke Dockyard in order to venture into the oil and gas sector while maintaining its heavy engineering works had proven to be fruitful as the corporation had made a name for itself in the field of offshore-module fabrication.

He said he was delighted to know that Brooke Dockyard was now capable of standing on its own feet, and was no longer dependent on the government for support.

“When Sarawak started its industrialisation programme seriously, many engineering companies that had been struggling hard for years became prominent. These companies have now secured great amount of work orders and have transformed themselves into multi-million dollar size companies.

“I think Brooke Dockyard will be great to join that kind of success in the future if you are determined to do so,” he said, urging the staff to work closely with the management to realise all set targets.

He hoped Brooke Dockyard would continue to transform itself into a modern organisation and possessed the ability to attract talented workers.

“The future could be offering you more … probably you will be designing and building factories. This will be very good for Brooke Dockyard, and also for Sarawak.”

Meanwhile, the corporation’s chairman Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg said the company had thus far completed 15 offshore modules, 10 substructures, and four offshore living quarters since venturing into the oil and gas sector 16 years ago.

Being the first state government statutory body to win the ISO 9001 award, he said the corporation had become a trusted partner for many multinational clients such as Petronas Carigali, Shell, Talisman, Murphy Oil and ExxonMobil.

“Moving forward, the journey is not going to be easy and will be full of challenges. However, if we continue to work hard, I believe we can scale even greater success in another 100 years.”

Also present at the dinner were Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Local Government and Community Development Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and Assistant Minister of Housing Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.