KUCHING: B.I.G. Industries Bhd (BIG) expects to begin carbon dioxide refilling operations at its new branch in Samalaju Industrial Park, Bintulu, by January 2026, said its chairman Datuk Lee Chuen Wan.
He said the company had obtained the occupation permit for Phase 1 in August this year, with construction of the electrical supply infrastructure now underway.
Phase 1 was completed in August 2024.
Lee added that BIG has acquired a new air separation unit (ASU) worth RM22.9 million, with planning for the required infrastructure — including the ASU building and storage tank — now in progress under Phase 2.
“The ASU will have a daily production capacity of 60 tonnes,” he said in the company’s 2025 annual report, noting that Phase 2 is slated for completion by December 2027.
BIG, Sarawak’s pioneer industrial gas operator, manufactures, distributes and markets industrial gases across Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
It operates refilling facilities in Kuching, Bintulu, Miri, Lumut and Sandakan, with Samalaju set to join the network soon.
Lee said the gas division’s revenue rose 27 per cent, or RM6.85 million, in FY2025 compared with FY2024, driven by demand from the fabrication, shipbuilding, oil and gas, petrochemical, electronics, and food and beverage sectors.
Major FY2025 contracts included the supply of liquid nitrogen to Malaysia LNG Sdn Bhd and Samsung E&A Malaysia Sdn Bhd, liquid oxygen to Air Liquide Malaysia Sdn Bhd and several hospitals in Sarawak and Brunei, as well as compressed gas to Press Metal group, CHEC Construction (M) Sdn Bhd, and Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd.
Beyond industrial gases, BIG is also active in property development. Its latest project, Suasana Melalin @ Kota Kinabalu, comprising 78 residential units worth an estimated RM37 million, was completed during FY2025. Its next project, Kidurong 12 @ Bintulu, will feature 12 semi-detached industrial units and has received provisional approval from the State Planning Unit.
The group plans to carry out land sub-division and submit building and infrastructure plans for approval soon.
In FY2025, BIG recorded higher revenue of RM38.39 million (FY2024: RM33.32 million), although after-tax profit declined to RM4.55 million from RM5.54 million a year earlier.
“While Malaysia’s 2025 growth forecast has been revised to 4.0–4.8 per cent amid a challenging global trade environment, the group is cautiously optimistic about FY2026,” Lee said. “We anticipate an improved performance, building upon the strong momentum in our gas division and the strategic investments in our expansion plans.”
