KUCHING, Feb 20: Sime Darby Plantation Berhad managing director, Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha, stated that Sarawakians hold approximately 52 per cent of executive-level positions in the State.
According to a TVS news report, Mohamad Helmy noted that for non-executive positions, trust is also given to 99 per cent of Sarawakians, which includes palm oil plantation workers.
“The chief engineer for Sarawak is from Sarawak. The head of development and research (R&D) for agronomy services, but based in Kuala Lumpur, is a Sarawakian.
“Senior positions for managers are indeed mostly Sarawakians,” he said after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday (Feb 19).
Mohamad Helmy also mentioned that Sime Darby Plantation had been operating in Sarawak since the 1990s, with approximately 40,000 hectares of palm oil plantations and a palm oil refinery in Bintulu Port.
Regarding the courtesy visit, he stated that it was intended to strengthen cooperation with the Sarawak government, as well as to find new talent in engineering, research and development, and plantation management.
“I told the Premier, once upon a time we asked them (citizens of this State) to come to Sarawak to jointly develop Sarawak. That is from the aspect of senior management, but from below we also run a protege programme and many are also from Sarawak.
“This pilot programme is for 12 months, the first six months they will be here (Sarawak) and we will take them to the Peninsula. So they’ll learn about us,” Mohamad Helmy added. — DayakDaily
