Kota Kinabalu: Strengthening local industry participation, sharing technical know-how and building mutually beneficial supply chains are at the forefront as Sabah explores new collaboration opportunities with two established Chinese power engineering enterprises, with the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) serving as a strategic bridge.
High-level representatives from Liaoning Litong Electric Group and Liaoning Jigao Power Installation Co Ltd met with SCCC leadership on Monday to explore potential cooperation in power infrastructure, renewable energy, electrical equipment supply and EPC contracting.
The engagement is focused on ensuring that partnerships translate into real opportunities for Sabah-based contractors and businesses while strengthening local workforce capabilities.
Led by Shi Shiping and Executive Director Zhao Xiaomei, the delegation presented a fully integrated profile covering the manufacture of cables, transformers and switchgear; installation and grid works of up to 330kV; and renewable energy deployment.
The companies are backed by strong track records in major Chinese national projects and an annual turnover of around RMB2.6 billion.
SCCC President Datuk Frankie Liew welcomed the interest, stressing that Sabah’s energy modernisation and renewable transition call for more than outside investment: they require partners ready to operate as part of the local economic ecosystem.
“Sabah’s energy needs are urgent and growing, but so is our commitment to ensuring that local businesses are involved, skills are advanced and technologies are rooted here,” Frankie said.
“We see this engagement not merely as bringing projects in, but as building up Sabah’s own capacity,” he added.
The Chinese delegation detailed its credentials, including Class-II general power contracting qualifications, nationwide operations from its Liaoning headquarters, and long-standing partnerships with key entities such as State Grid Corporation of China, China Resources, Datang and China State Construction.
Discussions, however, remained firmly grounded in local priorities: how equipment and construction workflows can engage Sabah-based firms; how engineering and maintenance know-how can be shared; and how joint initiatives can align with reliability, sustainability and long-term economic goals.
The meeting was also attended by SCCC’s First Deputy President Brett Chua, Second Deputy President Ir Ts Tan KJ, Vice-Presidents Datuk Peter Chia, Tan Siew Ling and Chin Hui Zhi, and Investment Facilitation Director Cyndi Liu.
Those at the meeting agreed to move forward through continued dialogue, targeting specific and viable projects that serve local interests.
The proposed scope spans transmission and distribution networks, renewable energy facilities, equipment supply, system upgrades and turnkey EPC services, all within the framework of SCCC’s role as a strategic bridge linking international investors to Sabah’s development agenda.
