Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : GEBENG, PAHANG
Tarikh/Date : 04-10-2001
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE
INTEGRATED CHEMICAL COMPLEX OF
BASF PETRONAS CHEMICALS SDN BHD
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
First of all, I would like to thank BASF of
Germany and PETRONAS for giving me the honour to
officiate the opening of its joint venture BASF-
PETRONAS Chemicals integrated plant complex. Today's
ceremony certainly marks another significant milestone
in Malaysia's continuing industrialisation efforts and
in particular, the development of the nation's
petrochemical industry.
2. It is indeed heartening to note that the
petrochemical industry in Malaysia has seen tremendous
development over the past 10 years, with the
implementation of numerous large-scale projects, many
of which have commenced operation. These projects have
contributed towards adding value to the nation's gas
resources as well as transferring state-of-the-art
technologies and technical skills to the local
companies and workforce. This augurs well for the
realisation of our aspiration to become a developed
nation by the year 2020. We have to sustain economic
growth as well as to maintain Malaysia's
competitiveness in the increasingly challenging and
tough global environment of this 21st Century if we
want to do so. Such a goal can only be achieved through
technology acquisition and by increasing, strengthening
and broadening the country's economic base.
3. Indeed, the vigorous expansion of the
petrochemical industry has contributed significantly
towards the further broadening of the country's
economic activities, particularly the manufacturing
sector which continues to be a major contributor to the
national coffer through export earnings as well as
foreign exchange savings from import substitution. It
is encouraging to note that in the first half of this
year, income generated from exports of chemical and
chemical products totalled RM7.8 billion, accounting
for 5.4 percent of the total exports of RM144 billion,
compared to 4.8 percent for the same period in the
previous year. In addition to export earnings,
petrochemical projects have also generated significant
inflow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the
country as evident in the more than US$5 billion (RM19
billion) worth of investments being planned for the
implementation of various petrochemical projects for
the next few years, of which 50 percent comes from FDI.
4. Given the slowdown in the global economy which is
anticipated to prolong further following the current
situation in the United States of America, the
challenge to consistently attract a steady stream of
FDI into the country will be much more daunting. Should
the uncertainty continue to surround the global
economy, the competition for a share in the FDI pie
will certainly be even tougher with more countries
wooing a contracting pool of capital fund.
5. In this light, I would like to assure investors,
foreign and local alike, that the Government of
Malaysia places utmost importance in safeguarding the
country's prevalent conducive investment climate.
Security therefore remains a top priority. The
Government will continue to be proactive in ensuring
that businesses operate in a safe and secure
environment.
6. Central to our efforts to enhance the investment
climate in the country is the provision and continuous
upgrading of logistics and infrastructure facilities.
In the case of the petrochemical industry, the
Government has allocated substantial funds to upgrade
existing infrastructures and build new ones. To this
end, the construction of the East Coast Highway can be
seen as a major advantage for petrochemical players,
including this BPC integrated chemical complex. Once
completed in August 2003, the new highway is expected
to cut travelling time by nearly one-third and will
greatly facilitate road transportation of petrochemical
products from the Eastern Corridor to the industrial
centres in the West Coast as well as other parts of
Peninsular Malaysia.
7. Recently, the Government has invested in the
expansion of Kuantan Port, the main channel of product
distribution for petrochemical companies in Gebeng.
This expansion project includes a new petrochemical
jetty as well as dedicated berthing terminals, which
are in the pipeline. All these facilities allow for
greater capacity and increased speed in the handling of
shipments at Kuantan Port. To further increase
efficiency, the Government has also introduced partial
liberalisation of the haulage industry which has so far
proved effective in enhancing the quality of land
transportation in the country. It is hoped that the
better logistics and infrastructure facilities will
provide further impetus for the continued growth of the
petrochemical as well as support industries in the
Kertih-Gebeng area.
8. Furthermore, petrochemical companies have also
been given incentives to develop their own
infrastructural facilities. BASF PETRONAS Chemicals,
for instance was recently granted approval to build and
operate a 200-metre dedicated berth at Kuantan Port.
9. I am also pleased that the development of the
ethylene-based and propane-based integrated
petrochemical complexes (IPCs) is progressing well in
Kertih and Gebeng respectively, the stretch that is
beginning to take shape as the country's petrochemical
hub. This commendable achievement, to a large extent,
should be attributed to the commitment and untiring
efforts of PETRONAS in taking a proactive role to
ensure the systematic and efficient development of the
Malaysian petrochemical industry through synergistic
strategic alliances with the right, capable foreign
partners to undertake such large-scale, capital
intensive hi-tech projects. I am sure that PETRONAS
will continue to be the main vehicle to drive the
industrial development of this area.
10. The availability of adequate feedstock, the
existence of good infrastructure facilities coupled
with political stability and the various incentives
provided by the Government have, I believe, made
Malaysia an attractive location in the region for
established multinationals to invest in petrochemical
projects. Among the new projects currently being
undertaken in Kertih are the PETRONAS-Dow Chemicals
joint venture, Optimal Group's olefins cracker with a
capacity to produce 600,000 tonnes of ethylene and
85,000 tonnes of propylene per year, 320,000 tonne per
year ethylene glycol plant and multi-unit derivatives
plant, all scheduled to be commissioned late this year
as well as the 225,000 tonne per year low density
polyethylene project, a joint venture between PETRONAS,
Polifin Ltd of South Africa and DSM Polyethylenes of
the Netherlands.
11. As part of an industry known for its sophisticated
technology, the BPC integrated chemical complex at
Gebeng stands as a testimony to Malaysian capability.
Local contents have been injected into all phases of
the project, from consultancy, design and construction
works. This is an achievement that Malaysians can be
proud of, proving that they are capable of taking on
the challenge and be at the forefront of technology.
12. I would therefore like to congratulate the
management and staff of BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd
for their success as well as PETRONAS and its partner,
BASF for their foresight and commitment in making this
joint venture a mutually beneficial and fruitful
partnership.
13.On this note I now have the pleasure to officially
declare open the Integrated BPC Chemical Complex.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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