Sarawak, Malaysia: Hebei Xinwuan Group’s Wenan Iron and Steel have proposed plans to build an integrated steel plant in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia worth MYR 13 billion (US$3 billion).
Toyota Motor plans to construct its third manufacturing plant in Malaysia, as it aims to increase supply in a region expected to grow over the medium term while improving the efficiency of its production network.
A market sensing exercise is underway for the construction of a new East Coast Railway in Malaysia, which will connect major town and cities in the east of the peninsula.
Malaysia’s recent setbacks have fueled talks that Malaysia might not be the long term solution to fill the bauxite supply gap.
Bauxite exports leapt 600 percent from 2014 to 2015, after experiencing a similar leap in bauxite exports from 2013 to 2014. This increase in production has also seen illegal bauxite mining increase substantially over the previous two years.
There has been some legislation passed to limit the illegal mining, with the three month moratorium on bauxite mining being the latest, but so far, the Malaysian government have been unable to arrest a single illegal miner. Pahang officials have also been embroiled with claims of corruption and residential dissent, with two more Pahang land and mines department officers recently charged for accepting bribes.
The vacuum left by Indonesia’s decision to ban exports of unprocessed ores led to the industry bestowing upon Malaysia the title of primary bauxite exporter, but infrastructural and legalistic shoddiness has cast aspersion over whether Malaysia can keep up their supply.
The countries that could pick up the bauxite slack include Australia, the second largest exporter of bauxite ore to China and China itself, whose domestic bauxite mining is beginning to pick up pace.
Singapore & Johor Bahru, Malaysia: Beyonics Technology Limited (Beyonics), a contract manufacturer of electronics products, precision plastics, and metal components, has broken ground at the new site at iPark @ Indahpura, Johor, Malaysia. The company said that the investment is worth MYR 33.8 million (US$10 million) and the facility covers some 26,750 sq m.
The iPark facility will become a flagship in the company’s network of facilities across Asia, and will be the company’s first site in Malaysia integrating electronics manufacturing with aluminium die-casting and precision machining in one single location. The facility will be fully operational by the end of 2015 and will replace two existing facilities at Senai and Tampoi in Johor by consolidating their operations, equipment, and staff.
In addition to providing customers with a single integrated facility that is able to offer multiple services and product solutions, the relocation will allow for future expansion.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: ABB has inaugurated its second factory in Malaysia in the Sungai Way Free Industrial Zone in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The facility will manufacture the company's next generation ACS880 drives to support increasing demand for energy-efficient motor driven systems in South Asia and Oceania industrial sectors such as pulp and paper, metals, mining, cement, power, chemical, oil and gas, and food and beverage.
"As the world's largest supplier of variable speed drives, the new factory will allow ABB to harness opportunities in one of the most promising growth regions," said Pekka Tiitinen, head of Discrete Automation and Automation division. "Our investment in this factory reflects the importance of Malaysia as a strategic base for ABB. Its location in the heart of the region, cost effectiveness, business-friendly environment and modern infrastructure provide easy access to exciting new markets."
The factory will initially produce over 5,000 units of drives per annum, up to 500kW, in voltages from 415V to 690V.
