How it started
History
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.
From Wikipedia’s article on Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2