News

By Rupa DAMODARAN
(News taken from The Business Times: October 15, 2004)

CLEANING specialist Sinar Jernih Sdn Bhd is confident that its international cleaning contracts to countries in the region will contribute significantly to its bottom line in three years.

Managing director Mohd Said Osman said the company currently has 44 projects in India, two in Brunei and one in Sri Lanka, with a total contract value of RM16.4 million. Leveraging on its strategic partner Pantai Medivest Sdn Bhd, a hospital services concessionaire, it hopes to strengthen its market share in the competitive global arena.

The partnership has placed both companies in good stead in their efforts to export the services abroad, said Mohd Said. Currently only 10 per cent of its revenue comes from its services abroad. “With Pantai Medivest, we can now aggressively market our hospital support services in India while we can be the support pillar for Pantai Medivest to strengthen its position in West Asia and Indonesia where it has already made inroads.” Its clients in India include the prestigious Taj group of hotels, Sheraton Oberoi and Wockhardt Park Hospital, and growth is estimated at about 200 per cent per year for the next three years.

Mohd Said was speaking to reporters after the signing of two agreements — with Pantai Medivest and the other between its subsidiary Sinar Malship Lanka Private Ltd and CT Land Development Ltd.

Sinar Malship is a joint venture between Sinar Jernih, Sri Lankan consortium Malship (Ceylon) Ltd and other parties to provide cleaning services to CT Land’s shopping mall, Majestic City, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Sinar Jernih offers integrated facilities maintenance and management services that include housekeeping, landscaping as well as building maintenance and management services.

The company was incorporated in 1995 under the vendor development programme of Pantai Medivest Sdn Bhd which was selected to provide privatised government hospital support services (con- cession) to government hospitals in Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.

Apart from adopting the latest technologies, systems and project management practices, it also diversified its operations, moving beyond the healthcare support services sector to include facilities maintenance and management services.

It currently has 60 projects in hand, with services ranging from cleaning to integrated facilities management, totalling RM98 million.

It has a workforce of 5,500 operating from its network of offices that span across Malaysia, Brunei and India.

CT Land is the property arm of Sri Lankan conglomerate Ceylon Theatres Ltd that is involved in entertainment, food and retail distribution, ceramics and plantations.

Meanwhile, International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Husni Hanadzlah said the venture indicates that Malaysian companies involved in specialised services have the capacity and capabilities to venture into foreign markets.

Speaking on behalf of Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Husni said: “Towards the objective of the Asean Economic Community, healthcare services have been identified as one of the 11 sectors that will be accorded priority integration by 2010.”

Jeddah, Dubai, Medan and Ho Chi Minh City have been identified as potential markets to promote Malaysian healthcare facilities and services.