Latest news with #Sabah-based
Daily Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Mustapha's son rejoins politics at 75
Published on: Saturday, August 09, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 09, 2025 Text Size: Kahar (right) submits his application to Jeffrey with Jerry at left. Kota Kinabalu: Former Banggi assemblyman Datuk Amir Kahar Tun Datu Mustapha has re-entered the political arena, joining the Sabah-based Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star). The 75-year-old five-term state assemblyman and three-term MP for Marudu, submitted his membership form to Star President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan at a low-key ceremony here on Wednesday, witnessed by senior party figure Datuk Jerry Ambuting Mohd Said. Advertisement Amir Kahar is the son of the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, Sabah's first Head of State and third Chief Minister. Despite his long absence from active politics, Amir said the gravity of Sabah's economic crisis and the pervasiveness of corruption compelled him to return. 'I'm less than 25 years away from turning 100, yet here I am, coming back, because I'm alarmed. 'This isn't a war we're fighting, its economic collapse. Corruption is everywhere. If not for that, I'd simply live out my days in peace,' he said. Advertisement Describing his comeback as a moral and spiritual obligation, Amir said he had spent much of the past year reflecting on the path forward. 'This is my way of doing good, by returning to the political fight against corruption. 'I've thought long and hard, and I'm standing again with Dr Jeffrey not just a friend, but a brother-in-struggle. We've fought together since 1986. We were only ever separated by those who feared our unity.' He also took aim at the state's entrenched poverty, dismissing official categories of 'hardcore' or otherwise. 'To me, poverty is poverty and Sabah, once rich in resources, is today the poorest state in the country,' he said. Calling for a united front to protect the future of Sabah's youth, Amir urged the people not to remain passive. 'We elders have tasted hardship and prosperity. But the young those 15, 20, 30 years old they don't know it yet. It's our duty to ensure they have a future. These hands carry our fate, for better or worse,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
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Daily Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Azam Jaya gets RM120 million Tawau airport contract
Published on: Thursday, August 07, 2025 Published on: Thu, Aug 07, 2025 Text Size: Yang Berbahagia Datuk Jessica Lo, Executive Director of Azam Jaya, stated, 'As a proud Sabah-grown company, we are honoured to be entrusted with this important project that supports the State's ongoing infrastructure development. TAWAU: Sabah-based major road infrastructure construction player, Azam Jaya Berhad via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pembinaan Azam Jaya Sdn Bhd, has received the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the Ministry of Transport Malaysia for a RM120.9 million contract for the upgrading works for Tawau Airport in Sabah. Under the LOA, Azam Jaya will undertake the project on a design and build basis, including preliminaries, design, construction of terminal buildings and associated works. The contract spans over 3 years, commencing from 22 August 2025, with completion expected by 17 August 2028. Advertisement The upgrading works at Tawau Airport represent a strategic initiative by the government to enhance the airport's capacity, operational efficiency, and overall service delivery. Located on the southeast coast of Sabah, Malaysia, Tawau Airport serves as a vital gateway for both domestic and international travellers. As one of only two airports in the state equipped with immigration counters for international arrivals, Tawau Airport plays a crucial role as a key transit hub in the region. In 2024, the airport ranked as the eighth busiest in Malaysia, handling close to 2.0 million passenger movements, which is a clear reflection of its growing significance in the nation's aviation network. With passenger traffic increasing significantly in recent years, the ongoing upgrades are timely. These improvements are expected to elevate the comfort and experience of travellers while supporting the region's tourism growth and economic development. Advertisement The latest contract will further strengthen Azam Jaya's unbilled order book, which stood at RM1.42 billion as of 31 March 2025, providing healthy earnings and cash flow visibility through to 2028. Azam Jaya's ongoing project portfolio also includes few work packages under the Pan Borneo Highway. These projects are expected to make a growing contribution to the Group's performance as they progress in the coming quarters. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Jessica Lo, Executive Director of Azam Jaya, stated, 'As a proud Sabah-grown company, we are honoured to be entrusted with this important project that supports the State's ongoing infrastructure development. The upgrading of Tawau Airport will not only enhance regional connectivity but also help accommodate the increasing demand for international travel to Sabah's east coast.' 'This contract is a valuable addition to our project portfolio and reinforces the trust placed in our ability to deliver large-scale developments. It also complements our ongoing involvement in the Pan Borneo Highway and further strengthens our footprint across Sabah.' 'With funding allocation for Sabah remaining a priority under Budget 2025, we believe there will be more opportunities to support the State's development. At the same time, we are actively exploring expansion into Sarawak and the Kalimantan region as part of our long-term strategy to broaden our geographical reach. As we scale up, our focus remains on building a strong and sustainable project pipeline. The RM61.5 million raised from our IPO will be used to strengthen our construction capabilities and scale up our operations, allowing us to take on larger, more complex projects and support the long-term growth of our order book.' To recap, Azam Jaya was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Securities on 11 November 2024 under the stock name AZAMJAYA and stock code of 5329. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Tawau Airport to get RM120.9mil upgrade
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah-based major road infrastructure construction player Azam Jaya Berhad has received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the Transport Ministry for a RM120.9mil contract to upgrade Tawau Airport. Under the LOA, Azam Jaya, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Pembinaan Azam Jaya Sdn Bhd, will undertake the project on a design and build basis. This includes preliminaries, design, and construction of terminal buildings and associated works. The contract spans three years, commencing on Aug 22, with completion expected by Aug 17, 2028. According to the company, the upgrading works at Tawau Airport represent a strategic initiative by the government to enhance the airport's capacity, operational efficiency, and overall service delivery. Located on the southeast coast of Sabah, Malaysia, Tawau Airport serves as a vital gateway for both domestic and international travellers. As one of only two airports in the state equipped with immigration counters for international arrivals, Tawau Airport plays a crucial role as a key transit hub in the region. In 2024, the airport ranked the eighth busiest in Malaysia, handling close to two million passenger movements, reflecting its growing significance in the nation's aviation network. The company stated that with passenger traffic increasing significantly in recent years, the ongoing upgrades are timely. These improvements are expected to elevate the comfort and experience of travellers while supporting the region's tourism growth and economic development. This latest contract will further strengthen Azam Jaya's unbilled order book, which stood at RM1.42bil as of March 31, 2025, providing healthy earnings and cash flow visibility through to 2028. Executive Director of Azam Jaya, Datuk Jessica Lo, said as a proud Sabah-grown company, they were honoured to be entrusted with this important project that supports the state's ongoing infrastructure development. She noted that the upgrading of Tawau Airport will not only enhance regional connectivity but also help accommodate the increasing demand for international travel to Sabah's east coast. "This contract is a valuable addition to our project portfolio and reinforces the trust placed in our ability to deliver large-scale developments," she said, adding that it also complements their ongoing involvement in the Pan Borneo Highway and further strengthens their footprint across Sabah. "With funding allocation for Sabah remaining a priority under Budget 2025, we believe there will be more opportunities to support the state's development," Lo added. In October last year, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the upgrading of Tawau Airport would begin early 2025 at a cost of about RM130mil, with completion expected in three years. Sixteen companies were shortlisted for the project at that time, with the government in the process of selecting a main contractor.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Azam Jaya wins RM120.9mil Tawau Airport upgrade job
From left: Transport Ministry procurement and finance division under secretary Guna Arulalan David, Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Azam Jaya Bhd chairman cum group managing director Datuk Jonathan Lo Chaw Loong, Azam Jaya executive director Datuk Lo Vun Che @ Jessica and Transport Ministry development division deputy under secretary Rahidah Mohd. KUALA LUMPUR: Azam Jaya Bhd via its wholly-owned unit Pembinaan Azam Jaya Sdn Bhd, has secured a RM120.9mil contract from the Transport Ministry for upgrading works at Tawau Airport, Sabah. In a statement, the Sabah-based major road infrastructure player said that under the letter of acceptance, it will undertake the Tawau Airport upgrade on a design-and-build basis. The scope includes preliminaries, design, construction of terminal buildings and associated works.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Firm Synergy Sdn Bhd, Celeros Flow Tech localising oil and gas expertise
Published on: Wednesday, August 06, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 06, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Allen (left) and Jesselton (right) witnessed the signing ceremony between FSSB and Celeros. Kota Kinabalu: A strategic partnership between local company Firm Synergy Sdn Bhd (FSSB) and global pump solutions provider Celeros Flow Technology was formalised here on Tuesday, witnessed by SMJ Energy Sdn Bhd and the Sabah Oil and Gas Service Council (SOGSC). This event marks a significant step in localising global expertise to support Sabah's growing oil and gas ecosystem. Advertisement SMJ Energy's Vice President for Government Affairs and Projects Allen Chia said such partnerships are aligned with Sabah's direction in building energy independence and technical readiness. 'This type of cooperation offers not just commercial benefit, but a practical foundation for operational readiness and sustainability in high-performance systems, particularly in pump technology,' he said during the signing ceremony between two agencies in here. Allen emphasised that long-term support and access to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) technology are essential as Sabah enhances its upstream and downstream assets. 'Incorporating trusted global systems like ClydeUnion Pumps into Sabah's projects helps us move from dependency to operational autonomy,' Allen said. Advertisement SOGSC Vice President I Jesselton Jason James said technology partnerships involving local agents are essential for strengthening Sabah's industry base. He said Firm Synergy's appointment as an authorised agent reflects SOGSC's broader objective of encouraging technology transfer, skills development and after-sales capabilities within the state. 'Sabah-based companies must not only represent global brands but be equipped to support their full lifecycle needs,' Jesselton said, referring to the importance of maintenance and operational reliability. 'This is not just a product handover. It's a commitment to raise local capabilities and reduce lag times in technical service,' he said. Celeros Flow Technology, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is an established name in customised flow control solutions for the energy, water and process industries. Its legacy brands include ClydeUnion Pumps, known globally for performance in critical applications. Under the agreement, FSSB will represent Celeros' pump technology solutions in Sabah, providing access to equipment, technical support and OEM parts, in a move aimed at strengthening both commercial and engineering capabilities locally. Also present were FSSB Managing Director Siti Shalfarinah Siron, Celeros Sales Director, Pumps and Market Vertical Leader – FPSO Suresh Kumar, stakeholders and industry representatives from Sabah's oil and gas sector. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
