Malaysia's biggest sugar refinery 45 per cent completed - Isa Samad

It is expected to produce one million metric tonnes of refined sugar, annually, once it starts operations next year, said Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad.

"Once it's ready, MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd (MSM) would be able to sell refined sugar to the domestic market and overseas," he said.

Speaking to Bernama after handing over 12 computers and RM5,000, cash, to be distributed to 50 students of Sekolah Kebangsaan (Felda) Serting Hilir 2 here today, he said the refinery would obtain its supply of raw sugar from several countries, including Brazil, China and Thailand.

"We have to get our supplies from several countries because we do not have any large-scale sugarcane plantation in Malaysia.

"We don''t have the right type of soil for it (sugarcane cultivation).

"We tried it back in the 60s and the 70s in Negeri Sembilan, but we found that the sugar content in the sugarcane was insufficient," he said.

A subsidiary of FGV, MSM accounted for 65 per cent of the local sugar market and had invested RM90 million to purchase 20.47 hectares of land to construct the country''s third sugar refinery.