KUCHING (June 19): Telecommunication facilities at the Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP) in Bintulu will be upgraded this year, said Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) in a statement today.

It said Recoda chief executive officer Datu Ismawi Ismuni was informed of the upgrading plans by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) director Adiman Ajem and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) general manager Dr Zaidi Razak following an online meeting yesterday.

Also participating in the meeting were representatives from telecommunication firms Sacofa Sdn Bhd, Telekom Malaysia, Digi Telecommunications, Maxis Communications, Celcom Axiata and U Mobile.

The statement also said the virtual engagement was initiated following the recent meeting between Recoda and industries in SIP which among others, raised the issue of the need for a faster broadband internet speed.

Ismawi in the statement expressed his hope that this telecommunication upgrade could be expedited to facilitate the industries within the industrial park.

“We are now in a new normal, where everything is dependent on internet connections,” he said in the statement which was issued by Recoda headquarters in Kuching.

SIP, which is managed by Recoda, covers an area of 8,000ha dedicated to energy intensive industries. The industrial park is about 60km away from Bintulu town.

Since its launch in 2008, SIP has been a hub for heavy and energy intensive industries such as priority industries in steel, aluminium, glass as well as oil and gas.

The statement added Recoda is tasked with implementing socio-economic and infrastructure projects in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

The statutory body also promotes and facilitates investments to SCORE as well as create job opportunities for Sarawakians.