KUCHING: Sarawak Energy’s annual investors town hall took place last week to update over 100 representatives from the business and investment community on the group’s business performance.
The event, which is held every year to enhance understanding of the corporation’s growth trajectory and business strategies, is also to attract new investors for its RM15 billion Sukuk Musyarakah programme. Organisations in attendance comprise local and international financial institutions including pension funds, asset management companies, banks and insurance entities.
Group chief executive officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili’s comprehensive presentation covered the group overview, financial and corporate performance, its next wave of growth and also emphasised its commitment to good practice in environment, social and governance (ESG).
“The investors town hall is part of our commitment to upholding transparency and good practice so that key stakeholders in the business and investment community are well-informed,” he explained.
As part of this, Sarawak Energy also publishes its award-winning annual reports and sustainability reports yearly although it is not mandatory to do as it is not a public listed company.
“This year, we also choose to highlight what we are doing on the sustainability front and our efforts in embedding sustainable practices at all levels of our operation. We are conscious of the accelerating trend of investors taking ESG into account when deciding on their fund strategies. More and more are considering ESG as a crucial aspect to guide investment decisions which is why we are sharing on our efforts in sustainable management,” said Sharbini.
Sharbini was accompanied by Sarawak Energy chief financial officer Alexander Chin and Strategy and Corporate Development executive vice president Ting Ching Zung. Also present were Hydro senior vice president Polycarp Wong and Sustainability senior manager Mohamad Irwan Aman.
Sharbini highlighted Sarawak Energy’s partnership with international sustainability associations to guide its practices and provide a point of reference. Sarawak Energy is a sustainable partner of the International Hydropower Association and Sharbini is an elected board member of the London-based association.
Sarawak Energy is a member of the UN Global Compact Network Malaysia since 2017 and a Gold Member of the Global Reporting Initiatives since 2016. It is committed to aligning its strategies with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially SDG7 and aims to electrify 99% of Sarawak with reliable, affordable power by 2020.
In terms of good governance, Sarawak Energy is committed to conducting its business in a responsible manner through robust processes and to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the company and the customers served in Sarawak.
The tendering and procurement processes are transparent and are based on the best value proposition, while considering local participation and content and without compromising on quality and project safety.
The townhall also featured a sape’ performance by Warisan Sape Telang Usan, a cultural troupe that was formed as a direct result of Sarawak Energy’s investment in Sarawak’s indigenous cultural heritage.
