Stay abreast with the latest happenings in Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad.

Financials_Cement

Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad Reports Stable Earnings – CMSB’s year-on-year pre-tax profit up 12% to RM382 million

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Kuching (Sarawak), Monday, 29 February 2016 – Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (CMSB – 2852), the State’s leading infrastructure facilitator, is pleased to announce its financial performance for the financial year ended 31 December 2015 (FY2015). The Group reported a total revenue of RM1.79 billion and pre-tax profit (PBT) of RM381.65 million for FY2015. The PBT has increased by 12% in comparison to the preceding year’s (FY2014) result of RM341.45 million. The PBT for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2015 (4Q15) is reported at RM115.37 million.

Year-on-year, the Group’s profit after tax and non-controlling interests (PATNCI) of RM241.59 million for FY2015 is 9% higher than the RM221.34 million reported for FY2014. Earnings per share (EPS) stands at 22.69 sen versus 21.42 sen from last year.

The main contributors towards the PBT earnings for FY2015 were the Construction & Road Maintenance, Construction Materials & Trading and Cement Divisions. The Construction & Road Maintenance Division recorded a PBT of RM135.29 million, exceeding FY2014’s profit of RM84.23 million by 61%. The Construction Materials & Trading Division reported PBT of RM107.99 million for FY2015, exceeding FY2014’s PBT of RM76.48 million by 41%. The Cement Division recorded a PBT of RM103.17 million for their contribution towards the Group’s results for FY2015.

Commenting on the results, Dato’ Richard Curtis, Group Managing Director of CMSB said: “Last year and the period leading into this year has been challenging for us in terms of Group performance meeting targets. This is largely due to macro factors outside our control which include, amongst others, low commodity prices and the higher cost of raw materials and of imported cement resulting from the strong U.S. dollar in the Cement Division. Within Sarawak however, the continued focus on the State’s infrastructure has resulted in strongly improved PBT results from our Construction & Road Maintenance and Construction Materials & Trading Divisions. With a commendable performance recorded in 2015, we remain cautiously optimistic that this positive momentum in our core businesses can continue.”

“We believe that CMSB continues to be one of the best proxy listed investments for Sarawak’s accelerating economic growth. This is consistent with the State’s promotion of energy intensive industries under the Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy (SCORE) initiative, where CMSB’s is Sarawak’s largest private sector investor, and the infrastructure and related services required across the State. These two drivers are set to propel the State’s economy and CMSB to new heights in the medium and long term”, said Dato’ Curtis.

CMSB’s dividend policy provides for a net payout ratio of 40% of its annual consolidated PATNCI to shareholders subject to a minimum of 2 sen per share. This is subject to the level of available cash and cash equivalents, return on equity and retained earnings, projected levels of capital expenditure and other investment plans. For FY2015, although CMSB turned in a stronger performance, the Board is proposing, in light of the above factors, a final dividend of 3.0 sen per share tax exempt (single-tier), for shareholders’ approval at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. Together with the interim (single-tier) dividend of 1.5 sen per share paid on 22 October 2015, this represents a payout ratio of 20% and brings the total dividend pay-out for FY 2015 to 4.5 sen or an amount of RM48.35 million payable to shareholders (FY 2014: RM90.42 million).

TPS

Tunku Putra School’s Aladdin Jr Stars Secure IGCSE Success

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Kuching (Sarawak), Thursday, 4 February 2016 – The students who starred in Tunku Putra School’s (TPS) heralded performance of Disney’s ‘Aladdin Jr’, which dazzled the audiences in August 2015, are celebrating outstanding IGCSE results. Karen Kim, who enchanted the audience with portrayal of Genie was amongst the highest achievers with seven A* and A grades, closely followed by Rebecca Topping (Aladdin) with six.

Congratulations are also accorded to Joel Kueh as the highest achieving student of the year group with seven A* and A grades at IGCSE level and an A grade in A/S level Mandarin.

Overall students performed well, with 88% of the Year Eleven students achieving five or more A* – C grades, the standard recognised as automatically allowing students to proceed to higher education.

Six current Year Eleven students are also delighted with their success in achieving A* grades in English (3), Mathematics (2) and Bahasa Malaysia (1) a year early.

Joel and Rebecca, along with seven of their fellow students were also rewarded for six months’ of challenge and meeting demanding targets in chosen skill and physical performance and contributing to the community with the Bronze Level Certificate of the International Award (formerly known as the Duke of Edinburgh Award). Now offered as part of the Enrichment Curriculum Programme, the International Award, recognised as one of the world’s leading initiatives for young people, enables students aged between fourteen and twenty-five to learn practical skills that are valuable to their personal and professional development.

TPS is likewise pleased to put on record the academic success of National Primary Six students in the 2015 Primary School Assessment Test (UPSR) registering a School Average Grade or G.P.S. is 1.47 against a Sarawak State G.P.S. of 2.48. Likewise, we are very pleased to note that our Form Three students achieved 100% pass in English, Mathematics, Science, Islamic Studies, History, Geography, Living Skills (KHB), Chinese Language and 94.1% in Malay Language in the Form Three (PT3) 2015 examinations.

Noteworthy success is similarly recorded by Alden Ong from National Primary Three (2015) for achieving third position in the recently held Malaysia International Mathematics Olympiad Competition (MIMO) 2015, which took place in Selangor.

“Our belief that every student is a unique individual who can be helped to achieve their potential in all areas of academic, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and physical development is reflected in the range of successes that we are able to share with you”, commented the Principal.

“We are delighted with the academic achievements of our students throughout the School,” she continued; “they are committed to their studies and consistently strive to improve on their previous best, supported and encouraged by committed and capable teachers in a nurturing educational environment.”

Signing Ceremony between SEB and MPAS

Power Purchase Agreement signed to power South East Asia’s Largest Integrated Food, Feed and Fertiliser Phosphate Plant

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Kuching (Sarawak), Wednesday, 3 February 2016 – Malaysian Phosphate Additives (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (MPAS) inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sarawak Energy through its wholly-owned subsidiary Syarikat SESCO Berhad today to provide electricity to the largest integrated phosphate additives plant (Plant) in South East Asia.

MPAS is a 100% Malaysian joint venture between Samalaju Industries Sdn Bhd (SISB), MPA Phosphate Ventures Sdn Bhd (MPVSB) and Arif Enigma Sdn Bhd (AESB).SISB is a wholly owned subsidiary of main board listed Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, a leading infrastructure and manufacturing group in Sarawak. MPVSB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian Phosphate Additives Sdn Bhd, a manufacturer of phosphate additives in Lumut, Perak and whose shareholders are its founding members and the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd. AESB is an associate of Tradewinds plantations group of companies.

The Plant will be located in Sarawak’s Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP), the growth node in Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), focussing on heavy and energy intensive industries. It will have an annual production capacity of approximately 500,000mt of food, feed and fertiliser phosphate additives, 100,000mt of ammonia and 900,000mt of coke. Using rock phosphate as its major raw material, its range of phosphate additive products will serve as the feedstock in the production of various foods and beverages, in Halal animal feed by replacing the use of animal bones and in the production of NPK fertiliser.

In delivering his address during the signing ceremony, Chairman of MPAS, Y Bhg Datuk Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree said, “For a substantial investment of RM1.9 billion on our part, we are projecting a compelling GNI of RM 11.8 billion from 2017 to 2030 to the Malaysian economy and many other benefits. These range from strengthening Malaysia’s food security and competitiveness through reduced imports; to providing 1,200 direct employment opportunities for Sarawakians in particular; to attracting potential downstream manufacturers, including SMEs to set up plants; to adding 5.5 million mt of cargo throughput into the new Samalaju port representing more than 50% of its throughput; and to diversifying SIP’s industrial base into a new non-metals sector.

According to Mr Lim Lee Wan, Managing Director of MPAS: “This Plant is just the first phase of a long term plan for our 350 acre land parcel. With its use of proven technology in its manufacturing processes, we are confident that we will see not just downstream manufacturers setting up near us but even more significantly that our Plant will serve as the catalyst for Samalaju Industrial Park to evolve into one of the region’s major phosphate chemical hub. We are grateful for the strong support from Sarawak Energy, the Sarawak and Malaysian governments and their agencies to bring our project to fruition.”

Construction of the Plant will commence following the formal signing of the EPC construction contract and financial close, both of which are at an advanced stage with production ramp u scheduled to commence in the first half of 2018.

Financials_Cement

CMS Cement Committed to Support Sustainable Growth for Sarawak

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Kuching (Sarawak), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 – To maintain the quality of our cement manufacturing and supply businesses and our other ongoing business investments to support the state’s socio-economic growth, CMS Cement Sdn Bhd (CMS Cement) today announced that it will be adjusting its cement prices upwards by an average of 4.6% effective 1st January 2016, due to the depreciation of the Ringgit.

The sustained major depreciation of the Ringgit since January 2015 has created an unprecedented increase in the cost of cement production, as over 60% of the key raw materials used to make cement namely clinker and gypsum are bought in USD. In addition, the equipment and spare parts for machinery and all shipping costs are paid for in USD. As at mid-November 2015, it was reported that the Ringgit recorded a 24.8% year-to-date loss, and a 30.9% deprecation over the same period last year. This steep decline in the Ringgit has resulted in major increases in raw material prices since early 2015.

Group Managing Director of Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad, parent company of CMS Cement, Dato’ Richard Curtis said: “Our commitment is to the state’s growth and in order for us to achieve this vision, tough but essential measures need to be implemented. At group level, we have absorbed the significant impact of the unfavourable foreign exchange rate since the beginning of the year. Various strategic measures have been implemented to control our production costs, however the increase in costs due to the major decline in the Ringgit has seriously impacted the cement division and the group’s profitability. If continued, this will not allow us to fulfil our long term commitment to the growth of the state.”

Additionally, CMS Cement has invested over RM56 million in the last six years to improve its pan-State distribution capabilities, including its two cement terminals in Miri and Sibu. This is further to the RM80 million invested in upgrading its clinker plant’s production capacity and to improve its operational efficiencies and production quality and to the latest investment of RM200 million in the 1 million mt cement grinding plant at Mambong outside Kuching, scheduled to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2016. This new plant will increase CMS Cement’s production capacity by over 60% and will enable projected growth in cement demand in the state to be met for many more years to come.

“CMS Cement’s commitment has and will always be to ensure the state’s vision of growth and development is realised. As one of the key local private sector investors in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and a major supplier of construction materials and services in the state, we understand that we must ensure the Group’s various businesses are kept fully optimised in terms of meeting the state’s growing needs. Rest assured that this will never be compromised by us,” added Dato’ Richard.

CMS wins BRC 2015 Award

The Edge Billion Dollar Ringgit Club 2015

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Best Performing Stock – Industrial Products Sector

THE Edge BRC 2015Kuching (Sarawak), Monday, 26 October 2015 – CMS picked up The EDGE Billion Ringgit Club (EDGE BRC) award for the ‘Best Performing Stock – Industrial Products Sector’ for the highest compound returns to shareholders over three years. This year’s achievement follows CMS’ success at last year’s event where we received the two awards – ‘Best Performing Stock – Industrial Products Sector’ and ‘Highest Profit Growth 2014 – Industrial Products Sector’.