KOTA KINABALU: POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd will back the proposal to enact a solid waste disposal law.
The state-owned firm's chief executive officer Datuk Fredian Gan said such a policy would enhance and harmonise the Sabah state government's push for expansion in industrialisation.
Under the Sabah Maju Jaya 2021-2025 development blueprint, the state aims to increase state gross domestic product contribution via industrialisation.
"With investors being increasingly conscious about the need for environmental governance as a result of global demand, a proper set of laws will enhance Sabah's attraction as a manufacturing destination and improve our chances of achieving our state development goals," he said in a statement.
Gan was responding to a recent news report on irregular waste disposal practices and inadequacies in solid waste management legislation.
The issue was on the alleged leak of residue hexane, a hazardous gas by a plant processing spent bleaching earth (SBE).
SBE is a clay that is a by-product of palm oil refineries. Hexane is a petroleum-based organic compound used in the process of extracting traces of oil from the SBE.
SBE by itself is considered flammable because it contains residue palm oil. However there is no law governing solid waste disposal.
"We in POIC Sabah subscribe to the Environment, Sustainability, Governance (ESG) principle and mandate our investors to comply with existing laws.
"We have been working within the government to move towards plugging any gaps in the laws to ensure that flouters do not benefit from any loopholes whilst those in compliance are not at a disadvantage."
He also said that POIC Sabah is working closely with the relevant authorities in monitoring the situation in the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park.
He credited an operator who is fully compliant with respect to sustainable practices in a processing plant located at POIC Lahad Datu. Aside from residual oil (used for biofuel production), the operator also produces eco processed Pozzolan that can be used to complement cement as a by-product.