SCORE POISED TO CREATE 110,000 JOBS IN WOOD-BASED SECTOR BY 2030

KUCHING (Malaysia), Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) is poised to create 110,000 new jobs in the wood-based sector, one of the 10 priority industries identified to be developed by 2030.

According to the latest issue of Perkasa, the Sarawak Timber Industry
Corporation's bi-monthly newsletter, wood-based industries within the corridor employed 41,521 or 83 percent of the 50,000 workforce in the sector at present.

Last year, the 70,000 sq km corridor in the state's central region,
contributed RM1.7 billion (US$500 million) or 92.2 percent of the sector's total
export earnings besides exporting 2.6 million cubic metres of logs.

It said the pulp and paper industry, with the support of the forest
plantation establishments being carried out actively by both the government and
the private sector, would continue to be developed and promoted
intensively.

Apart from supplying raw materials for the industry, the forest plantation
will also cater for the production of mechanical wood products such as sawn
timber, plywood and medium-density fibreboard, which will be further utilised
to produce value-added products like furniture.

The publication said development of wood-based industries and its
associated downstream value-added activities would be the driving force behind
the growth of Score's industrial development.

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. The other
state is Sabah.
--BERNAMA