The story
On 8 October 1974, CMSB was incorporated as Cement Manufacturers Sarawak Sdn Bhd, at Power Street, Kuching. The first board meeting was held on 31 October 1974 by Sarawak state financial secretary Bujang Mohd Nor and chief executive of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Mohd Amin Satem, with four others, including representatives from Sabah Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO). CMSB was jointly owned by SEDC and SEDCO on 50:50 basis. Bujang Mohd Nor and Mohd Amin Satem became the first directors on the company board.
In 1978, the company set up its first Portland cement manufacturing plant in Pending Industrial Estate, Kuching; Sarawak had previously imported Green Island cement from Hong Kong through Borneo Company Limited. In 1989, CMSB became the first Sarawak company listed on Bursa Malaysia main board.
In 1994, CMSB created subsidiary companies CMS Cement Sdn Bhd and CMS Properties Sdn Bhd. CMSB also acquired shares in three SEDC subsidiaries, namely Sara Kuari Sdn Bhd (where PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and PPES Premix Sdn Bhd were the subsidiaries of Sara Kuari); Steel Industry Sarawak Bhd; and PCMS Sdn Bhd. CMSB also acquired Sarawak Works Department premix plants. CMSB also acquired Archipelago Shipping (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd in 1996. Archipelago Shipping was later renamed as CMS Transportation Sdn Bhd. In November 2001, another company named Achi Jaya Services Sdn Bhd offered to acquire CMS Transportation Sdn Bhd for RM30 million. The transaction was completed in January 2003.
On 13 June 1996, the company changed its name to Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad (literally means "Sarawak's favourite son"). The original blue of its logo was changed to yellow, red, and black, the colours of the Sarawak flag. The interlocking logo represents Yin and yang, reflecting the company's main activities at that time, infrastructure and investment.
On 26 December 2000, CMSB reached an agreement with peninsular Malaysia-based K&N Kenaga Sdn Bhd, whereby CMS futures and securities business were sold to Kenaga in exchange for 25% shares in Kenaga. On 1 May 2003, CMSB subsidiary, Utama banking group, was merged with RHB Bank to form RHB Group, in keeping with Bank Negara's policy of consolidating Malaysia's banking industry. Utama banking group obtained 32.8% of RHB Group shares during this merger. In 2007, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) purchased all the RHB shares owned by Utama banking group for RM 2.25 billion. In 2008, Utama banking group acquired CMS Roads and CMS Pavement Tech by offering shares to PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of CMSB) and cash payments to SEDC. In 2009, Utama Banking Group disposed CMS Roads Sdn Bhd and CMS Pavement Tech Sdn Bhd to Putrajaya Perdana Bhd.
In 2010, CMSB sold Utama banking group to Petro Saudi International Ltd, an investment company based in Saudi Arabia for cash return. In the same year, CMSB ceased the operations of its loss-making ICT subsidiary company "I-system Group Berhad", acquired five years before. In 2011, CMSB reacquired CMS Roads and CMS Pavement Tech. In the same year, CMSB entered a joint venture with OM Materials Pte Ltd to operate ferrosilicon and manganese ferroalloys Smelter at Similajau Industrial Park. In 2013, CMSB entered a joint venture with Malaysian Phosphate Venture Sdn Bhd (MPV) and Arif Enigma Sdn Bhd (AESB) to form a company named Malaysian Phosphate Additives (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (MPAS) at Similajau Industrial Park. In the same year, CMSB became top 100 Malaysian companies in terms of market capitalisation.
In 2014, CMSB worked with Germany-based Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH to develop a new cement grinding plant in Mambong. On 22 September 2014, first ferrosilicon slab was successfully produced by OM Materials ferrosilicon and manganese ferroalloys Smelter at Similajau Industrial Park. In 2015, CMSB increased its stake in the OM Materials ferroalloys plant in Samalaju by 5%. In 2016, CMSB subsidiary PPES Works (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd was involved in the construction of Datuk Temenggong Abang Kipali bin Abang Akip Interchange at Petra Jaya, Kuching. In 2017, CMSB collaborated with Leburaya Borneo Utara on using water jets and pressure bars in constructions of Pan Borneo Highway. On 9 March 2018, CMSB, Ibraco Berhad and the HELP Education Group signed an agreement to establish Tunku Putra-HELP International School (TPHIS). In the same year, CMS Cement Industries Sdn Bhd collaborated with UNIMAS Holdings Sdn Bhd on the development of concrete made from Portland limestone cement and Portland composite cement.
In October 2022, Cahya Mata Sarawak changed its logo.
From Wikipedia’s article on Cahya Mata Sarawak, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4
