NEWS & UPDATES

KUCHING
14 FEBRUARY 2023

Sarawak’s electricity industry will see a larger pool of skilled workers to support energy development and project needs with a collaboration between Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication and Sarawak Energy.

The Electrical Inspectorate Unit (EIU) of the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication has accredited CENTEXS as an Electrical Courses Training Provider, with the centre now offering additional customised trainings and programmes for Sarawak Energy contractors at its various campuses, enabling accessibility to training and development in the electrical field.

The accreditation further supports CENTEXS’s aspiration of creating an ecosystem for learning, research, and innovation to accelerate Sarawak’s transformation towards a digital economy.

The accreditation was formalised in a handover ceremony held at CENTEXS’ Smart Auditorium in Kuching officiated by Sarawak Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, The Honourable Datuk Haji Julaihi Haji Narawi.

Present at the handover ceremony were Chairman of Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani; Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, Jafri bin Lias; Chief Executive Officer of CENTEXS , Tuan Haji Syeed Mohd Hussien and Director of Electricity Supply for the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, Syed Mohamad Fauzi Shahab.

Sarawak Energy was represented by Group Chief Executive Officer, Datu Haji Sharbini Suhaili. He was joined by Senior Vice President for Contract & Procurement, Haji Sulaiman Abdul Hamid; General Manager for Learning and Development, Shanton Mowe and General Manager for Contract and Procurement Governance, Madinah binti Abang.

Sarawak Energy’s large-scale energy infrastructure projects are human-capital intensive and the power developer and provider has embarked on strategic capability and capacity building programmes to address manpower gaps. In 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with CENTEXS formalising key collaboration to support ongoing enhancement initiatives for Sarawak Energy’s Contractor Capabilities Building Programme through third-party trainings and competency development. The partnership reinforces Sarawak Energy's commitment to support CENTEXS in expanding their training programmes and sessions by delivering more industry-relevant courses, trainings, and competency programmes.

In his speech, Datu Sharbini emphasised that competencies obtained by contractors from these programmes were not only essential to delivering Sarawak Energy works, but also applicable to the industry at large as it supports businesses across Sarawak.

“We believe that this will further contribute to the development of technical capabilities for industrial needs in line with the vision of Sarawak becoming a high-income and developed state by 2030. Our collaboration with CENTEXS will also enable us to maximise local content in all our Contract & Procurement activities, including supporting Sarawakian as well as Bumiputera participation in our projects,” he said.

Sarawak Energy is the largest renewable energy developer in Malaysia, providing its customers with predominantly renewable energy at the lowest average tariffs in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Its social investment initiatives include scholarships and programmes to skill up Sarawakians to actively participate in work and contracting opportunities in the electricity industry.

Datu Sharbini highlighted that by building up more competent local contractors and workers, there would be greater access to opportunities for socio-economic development, facilitating growth for local communities and Sarawakian businesses in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’.

Sarawak Energy has also implemented strategic initiatives to upskill its contractors beyond the collaboration with CENTEXS by introducing various capability building programmes and initiatives, including Bumiputera Participation Programme, Sarawak Energy Vendor Appraisals & Awards and Sarawak Energy Contractor Transformation Programme.

Welcoming remarks by Chairman of Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani

Speech by Sarawak Energy Group Chief Executive Officer, Datu Haji Sharbini Suhaili

Officiation speech by Sarawak Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, The Honourable Datuk Haji Julaihi Haji Narawi

Presentation of Electrical Inspectorate Unit accreditation's certificate by Sarawak Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, The Honourable Datuk Haji Julaihi Haji Narawi (3rd Left) to Chairman of CENTEXS, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi bin Abdul Ghani (3rd Right). Joining to witness were Sarawak Energy Group Chief Executive Officer, Datu Haji Sharbini Suhaili, (2nd Right), Chief Executive Officer of CENTEXS, Tuan Haji Syeed Mohd Hussien (1st Right), Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, Jafri bin Lias (2nd Left) and Director of Electricity Supply for the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication, Syed Mohamad Fauzi Shahab (1st Left)

Press conference led by Sarawak Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, The Honourable Datuk Haji Julaihi Haji Narawi

Sarawak Energy Group Chief Executive Officer, Datu Haji Sharbini Suhaili toured the Centre by CENTEXS