Sarawak has attracted many heavy industries with its abundant natural resources, competitive power rates and modern waste management system. Sarawak Cable Berhad (SCB) helps by providing these companies with a full suite of power transmission solutions. "We are at the right place, at the right time," says group managing director and CEO Aaron Toh Chee Ching. "The government has been successfully attracting energy intensive companies. Our role is to connect them to the power plants through completely packaged solutions at competitive prices." The cable and transmission tower provider leverages the support of its major shareholders, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and Leader Universal Holdings (LEADER). SEB is the sole supplier and distributor of electricity in Sarawak while LEADER is the largest cable and wire producer in Malaysia and all of Southeast Asia. In support of the government's Rural Electrification Scheme, SCB will supply local contractors with cables, towers and steel poles. This is part of Malaysia's National Key Economic Areas under the Economic Transformation Programme. SCB has also successfully completed the transmission line from Bakun Dam to Bintulu and is bidding for the 500-kilovolt line from Bintulu to Kuching. In the private sector, SCB is setting up lines for companies such as Tokuyama and Press Metal. To expand its offering, SCB has embarked on vertical integration. It has acquired a construction company, making SCB a fully integrated provider of power transmission line infrastructure. On the power generation side, the company plans to bid for the construction of a coal-fired power plant and a hydropower plant. SCB would like to capitalise on the abundant coal deposits and hydropower potential in Sarawak. SCB is looking for partners from the mainland and other countries that can provide the experience and know-how in coal plant and hydropower technology. "We want to grow regionally and we think the best formula is through mergers and acquisitions," Toh says. "We want to expand our boundaries outside of the state of Sarawak."
