MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Lahad Datu can be Sabah\'s largest city
Lahad Datu can be Sabah\'s largest city
16/8/07 (Daily Express Sabah) - Lahad Datu: Moves are underway to elevate Lahad Datu, which has the potential of becoming the biggest city in Sabah within 20 to 25 years, to municipality.
"All the potentials of Lahad Datu lie in the fact that it is strategically located, it has the best natural harbour and it lies in the heart of Sabah's oil palm belt," said Chief Executive Officer of state-owned POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd, Dr Pang Teck Wai.
He was addressing about 50 guests, comprising heads of departments and agencies at a luncheon hosted by POIC Sabah here Wednesday.
The luncheon was held as a mark of appreciation to the officers who had contributed to the successful implementation of the palm oil industrial cluster in Lahad Datu (POIC Lahad Datu).
It was held in conjunction with the completion and handing over of infrastructure works by its contractors.
Dr Pang commended District Officer, Amat Mohd Yusof who is also the chairman of District Council for his leadership in harnessing and rallying the support of all relevant departments and agencies in the district to enable POIC Lahad Datu to be transformed from an idea to reality in just over two years.
"Your leadership, and the success of POIC Lahad Datu so far is a testimony that with the right leadership, the government delivery system can be efficient, and we look forward to using this outstanding culture as we further develop POIC Lahad Datu."
Dr Pang revealed that POIC Lahad Datu, which has completed its initial two phases involving 1,150 acres is working on a third phase which would likely include minor clusters of timber and cocoa-based factories, aside from palm oil-related downstream industries.
He envisaged that due to the absence of deep-water harbours in the Kalimantan provinces (Indonesia's oil palm heartland) and southern Philippines, palm oil and lauric (coconut) oil respectively are expected to flow into POIC Lahad Datu.
With its natural 20-meter port, POIC Lahad Datu could become the world's largest vegetable oil hub, aside from being the town with the largest dedicated palm oil industrial cluster.
"I see Lahad Datu becoming a version of Rotterdam with population growing to perhaps one million in 20 to 25 years' time," he said, adding that town planning experts were being flown into here to conduct preliminary surveys on how the district should be planned and developed in order for it to tap its potential as a livable industrial city of the future.
Dr Pang also visited the SPC Biodiesel plant, which is the first biodiesel plant in Sabah and the first factory to have commenced operation in POIC Lahad Datu. This plant involves Australian and Malaysian interests.
He also visited the Global Bio Diesel plant, controlled by a Korean group, which has a first-phase capacity of 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel per year, making it the biggest plant of its kind in Malaysia and expected to be completed this October.
"All the potentials of Lahad Datu lie in the fact that it is strategically located, it has the best natural harbour and it lies in the heart of Sabah's oil palm belt," said Chief Executive Officer of state-owned POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd, Dr Pang Teck Wai.
He was addressing about 50 guests, comprising heads of departments and agencies at a luncheon hosted by POIC Sabah here Wednesday.
The luncheon was held as a mark of appreciation to the officers who had contributed to the successful implementation of the palm oil industrial cluster in Lahad Datu (POIC Lahad Datu).
It was held in conjunction with the completion and handing over of infrastructure works by its contractors.
Dr Pang commended District Officer, Amat Mohd Yusof who is also the chairman of District Council for his leadership in harnessing and rallying the support of all relevant departments and agencies in the district to enable POIC Lahad Datu to be transformed from an idea to reality in just over two years.
"Your leadership, and the success of POIC Lahad Datu so far is a testimony that with the right leadership, the government delivery system can be efficient, and we look forward to using this outstanding culture as we further develop POIC Lahad Datu."
Dr Pang revealed that POIC Lahad Datu, which has completed its initial two phases involving 1,150 acres is working on a third phase which would likely include minor clusters of timber and cocoa-based factories, aside from palm oil-related downstream industries.
He envisaged that due to the absence of deep-water harbours in the Kalimantan provinces (Indonesia's oil palm heartland) and southern Philippines, palm oil and lauric (coconut) oil respectively are expected to flow into POIC Lahad Datu.
With its natural 20-meter port, POIC Lahad Datu could become the world's largest vegetable oil hub, aside from being the town with the largest dedicated palm oil industrial cluster.
"I see Lahad Datu becoming a version of Rotterdam with population growing to perhaps one million in 20 to 25 years' time," he said, adding that town planning experts were being flown into here to conduct preliminary surveys on how the district should be planned and developed in order for it to tap its potential as a livable industrial city of the future.
Dr Pang also visited the SPC Biodiesel plant, which is the first biodiesel plant in Sabah and the first factory to have commenced operation in POIC Lahad Datu. This plant involves Australian and Malaysian interests.
He also visited the Global Bio Diesel plant, controlled by a Korean group, which has a first-phase capacity of 200,000 tonnes of biodiesel per year, making it the biggest plant of its kind in Malaysia and expected to be completed this October.