WHEN the late Chan Woon Peng, former Sarawak Chemistry Department director, retired at age 55 in 1984, many assumed he would settle into a quiet life. Instead, he defied expectations and established Chemsain Konsultant Sdn Bhd, beginning with a modest, family-run water testing laboratory in Kuching.
In its earliest days, Chemsain survived on small contracts, including a RM300-a-month job collecting water samples from the Sarawak Club. But building a business around laboratory services was anything but easy.
“In the early days, there was little demand for such services,” recalled his son, Dr John Chan, now Chemsain’s Executive Director.
The fledgling company faced financial struggles throughout its first decade. To keep it afloat, the Chan family mortgaged their properties, and the late founder chose not to draw a salary, prioritizing staff wages and the continuity of the business.
To supplement income, Chemsain also ventured into supplying laboratory chemicals and equipment—an effort later discontinued as the company concentrated on consultancy, environmental monitoring, occupational safety, and engineering services.
Over the next four decades, what began in Kuching quietly evolved. Through persistence and reinvestment, the company expanded its capabilities and reach.
Today, it operates from its headquarters which sits on a plot of land that the family bought for just 100 Sarawak dollars several decades ago. “Our family home used to sit on this very plot. The house was built in 1928 and named Sunnydale,” Dr John recalled.
An unexpected invitation from PETRONAS
The turning point came unexpectedly in 200, when PETRONAS invited Chemsain to participate in a laboratory testing tender—a field then dominated by foreign laboratories.
“I still remember when we submitted the tender, but we weren’t sure if we could meet the scope,” said Dr John. “We struggled at the beginning, but that opportunity was very important because it showed us that we could do it. Given the challenge, we could rise to it. That’s how we started building our oil and gas business.”
Rather than shy away from the challenge, Chemsain leaned into it—investing in training, equipment, and talent to meet the complex demands of the oil and gas sector. The focus was never just about profits but about building long-term capability.
“We couldn’t put the bottom line as the priority,” said Dr John. “The focus was on building the company and developing our people. That approach has guided us through our 41 years, and it continues today.”
With that opportunity, Chemsain transformed itself from a general laboratory into Malaysia’s largest oil and gas testing provider, while strengthening its core expertise in environmental consultancy, monitoring, occupational safety, and technical services.
Today, the company has more than 800 staff across nine locations in Malaysia and Brunei, with its headquarters at Rock Road, Kuching.
Its laboratories are ISO/IEC 17025 and ILAC-MRA accredited, and it is registered with major agencies including Department of Environment (DOE), Natural Resources and Environmental Board (NREB) Sarawak, Environment Protection Department (EPD) Sabah, PETRONAS, Ministry of Finance Malaysia (MOF), and Contractor and Consultant Registration Unit (UPK) Sarawak.
Building Capabilities, Reinvesting in People
Chemsain has long believed that its greatest asset is its people.
A significant portion of the company’s earnings is consistently reinvested into people and capabilities. At the heart of this effort is its in-house training academy, which equips laboratory assistants and technical staff with the skills they need—many of whom go on to join the company, creating a reliable pipeline of qualified professionals to meet rising demand.
From the beginning, Chemsain embraced a people-first philosophy, choosing to prioritise employee wellbeing and long-term growth over short-term profits. This guiding principle has shaped the company’s evolution over its 41-year journey.
“Whatever profit we make, a major portion of it is pumped back into the development of Chemsain and into the development of our people. We managed to do this when we first got the PETRONAS contract back in 2007, and it’s still happening now,” said Dr John.
Yet even with steady growth, Dr John acknowledges a persistent challenge: the shortage of skilled talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially in Sarawak and Sabah.
“It has always been difficult to find technical people, chemists, for example. When we do find them, we train them, and once they become valuable, they are often poached. That’s the big challenge,” he explained.
To address this, Chemsain has positioned itself as an employer of choice, offering financial stability, structured career development, and comprehensive in-house training to attract and retain top talent. The academy also contributes to Sarawak’s broader talent pool by preparing professionals to meet high standards in environmental and laboratory services.
Looking Ahead
Dr John is optimistic by what lies ahead. Looking toward the next five to ten years, he sees a wave of opportunity driven by growing public consciousness around environmental protection and workplace safety—especially among younger, more eco-aware generations.
“As regulations evolve and environmental challenges deepen, there will be more types of pollutants and chemicals to test. We need to keep building our capabilities to meet those needs,” he said.
He’s also excited about the role emerging technologies could play in Chemsain’s future. From artificial intelligence to advanced data analytics, he believes innovation will be key to unlocking new services and expanding the company’s footprint beyond Malaysia’s borders.
As Chemsain marks over 40 years in operation, its headquarters—standing tall on the grounds of the original Sunnydale home—serves as a physical reminder of how far the company has come.
From a lab built out of retirement to becoming a trusted partner of PETRONAS, Chemsain’s journey reflects the importance of belief, opportunity and perseverance.
“Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to believe in you,” said Dr John. “PETRONAS believed in us, encouraged us, and gave us the chance. We took it, gave it our all, and never looked back. We hope this partnership with PETRONAS, PETROS, and the Sarawak Government will continue to grow, so that together we can contribute to nation building.” —DayakDaily
