KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 3): Sarawak Consolidated Industries Bhd (SCIB) has inked a memorandum of understanding with PT Semesta Noor Berkarya (SNB) and PT Envy Manajemen Konsultansi (EMK) to explore the formation of a partnership in relation to the construction of 4G telecommunications towers for Indonesia’s outermost regions.

In a statement on Wednesday (Aug 3), the group said SNB will build and install the 4G telecommunications towers, and undertake site survey and acquisition as well as other supporting infrastructure work.

SNB, an Indonesian state-owned enterprise, is an engineering, procurement and construction specialist with expertise in handling large-scale domestic projects.

EMK, which is involved in business advisory, consultation, project management and other corporate management activities, will provide project management services through operational and technical supervision, SCIB said.

“We look forward to working with SNB and EMK on the project, which is part of the push to provide internet accessibility to Indonesia’s outermost, remote and underdeveloped areas as part of the country’s national digital transformation framework.

“SCIB is at a distinct advantage for this project as more than 60% of the proposed sites of the 4G telco towers are located in Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, which provides optimal opportunities to synergise our business as our three factories are located in Kuching, Sarawak.

“The project supports our strategy to diversify geographically by seeking opportunities for our engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) business, and we will certainly take this opportunity to also explore roles in the building of Indonesia’s multibillion-dollar new capital at Nusantara,” said SCIB managing director and chief executive officer Rosland Othman.

The project, which comes under Indonesia’s Telecommunications and Information Accessibility Agency (Bakti), is expected to take three years to complete and involves the construction and installation of 4G telecommunications towers in 3,704 villages.

Meanwhile, the group said it leverages its manufacturing business producing building materials as well as Industrialised Building System (IBS) to complement the EPCC business.

At noon break, shares in SCIB closed unchanged at 16 sen, giving it a market capitalisation of RM93.21 million.