Construction Of Malaysia's Biggest Sugar Refinery 45 Pct Complete - FGV Chairman Isa Samad

By Mohd Hisham Abdul Rafar JEMPOL (Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia), April 26 (Bernama) – Malaysia’s biggest sugar refinery, which is being constructed in Tanjung Langsat, Johor, is 45 per cent complete and within the approved budget. It is expected to produce one million metric tonnes of refined sugar, annually, once it starts operations next year, said Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) Chairman Mohd Isa Abdul Samad. “Once it’s ready, MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd (MSM) would be able to sell refined sugar to the domestic market and overseas,” he said. Speaking to Bernama after handing over 12 computers and US$1,146 (RM5,000), cash, to be distributed to 50 students of Sekolah Kebangsaan (Felda) Serting Hilir 2 here last Friday, he said the refinery would obtain its supply of raw sugar from several countries, including Brazil, China and Thailand. “We have to get our supplies from several countries because we do not have any large-scale sugarcane plantation in Malaysia. “We don’t have the right type of soil for it (sugarcane cultivation). “We tried it back in the 60s and the 70s in Negeri Sembilan, but we found that the sugar content in the sugarcane was insufficient,” he said. A subsidiary of FGV, MSM accounted for 65 per cent of the local sugar market and had invested US$20.63 million (RM90 million) to purchase 20.47 hectares of land to construct the country’s third sugar refinery. -- BERNAMA