Western Digital to cease operations in Sarawak, 1,500 to be laid-off!

Adrian Wong · 22nd Dec 2008, 01:09 AM

Quote:

KUCHING:American hard-disk manufacturer Western Digital will lay off all its 1,500 employees and cease its Sarawak operations at Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone here by March, next year.

Formerly known as Komag Sarawak, Western Digital has become the first casualty of the hi-tech firms operating in the state as US goes into economic recession.

State Assistant Minister for Industrial Development Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman said the state government was sad with the company’s sudden decision last week to shut down its operations here.

”We are disappointed and disgusted as the company has not informed the state government of its decision,” he told reporters at Wisma Sumber Alam here Saturday.

Daud said it was unfair for the company to cease the Sarawak operations completely while maintaining its operations in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor. The company is also closing down its plants in Thailand.

Western Digital is among the pioneer electronic firms in Sama Jaya. It has been in operation for 13 years and invested hundreds of million ringgit in its plants.

Daud said the company’s human resource director Saiful Bahri Soper and senior director, WDMO substrate engineering, Keong Chan confirmed the closure talks after they were summoned to meet him this morning.

By Jack Wong, The Star

Wow... They have started retrenching staff and closing down their plants...

zy · 22nd Dec 2008, 01:17 AM

oh no

thats no good

Chai · 22nd Dec 2008, 02:06 AM

Wow...I didn't know there's a plant in Sarawak too.

lee_what2004 · 22nd Dec 2008, 06:45 AM

Oh ow, this is bad

Lacus · 22nd Dec 2008, 08:17 AM

I heard this news since last week, though it was fake though

mikegas · 22nd Dec 2008, 09:08 AM

Yeah, it is true.. very sad indeed. My hometown.. Is actually a WD-Komag plant (media substrate).

WD has also close down the Navanakorn plant in Thailand ...

1031982 · 22nd Dec 2008, 10:43 PM

Wow... I hope they can keep the other plants open. Over the years, their HDD's have been the more reliable for the systems I build, and I recommend them all the time.

belikethat · 23rd Dec 2008, 12:14 AM

my fren got accepted in WD but got hold up last minute just recently. it's crunch time =/

Adrian Wong · 23rd Dec 2008, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikegas

Yeah, it is true.. very sad indeed. My hometown.. Is actually a WD-Komag plant (media substrate).

WD has also close down the Navanakorn plant in Thailand ...

I heard WD is thinking of buying over Fujitsu's HDD business. Is that still on the table?

mikegas · 23rd Dec 2008, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

I heard WD is thinking of buying over Fujitsu's HDD business. Is that still on the table?

err.. this I not sure. . maybe put on hold. Only interested in the Fujitsu SAS part of the HDD..

22nd Dec 2008, 01:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
zy Dead Join Date: 16 Dec 2002 Location: Buffalo NY / Penang MY Posts: 13,336 Reputation: 2158 Rep Power: 41	oh no thats no good __________________

22nd Dec 2008, 02:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
Chai Administrator Join Date: 6 Oct 2002 Location: Maranello Posts: 27,884 Reputation: 4630 Rep Power: 81	Wow...I didn't know there's a plant in Sarawak too. __________________ Chai (Contributor & Forum Admin) http://www.techarp.com/

22nd Dec 2008, 06:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
lee_what2004 Super Active Join Date: 28 Dec 2007 Location: Melaka Posts: 1,313 Reputation: 1106 Rep Power: 14	Oh ow, this is bad __________________ Once a wise-man said : Chapter 1: Don't ever compare if you want to stay constant..... Chapter 2: Whatever you have done in the internet, you will never get away from it... Chapter 3:To be continued after I thought another one

22nd Dec 2008, 08:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
Lacus Super Active Join Date: 28 Mar 2008 Location: Some gundam factory o.o Posts: 1,302 Reputation: 180 Rep Power: 4	I heard this news since last week, though it was fake though __________________ GUNDAM 00[Intel Xeon E3110 E0 Stock\|Asus Rampage Maximus Formula (Rampage Bios Mod)\|Gigabyte HD4850 512MB GDDR3+T-Rad2\|4x2gb DDR2 1000Mhz OCZ SLI-Ready Edition\|Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB\|Creative X-FI XtremeMusic\|Creative Inspire P5800\|Silverstone Strider ST56F\|Acer X233H\|Keyboard=Microsoft Sidewinder X6\|Logitech MX518\|Lian Li PC-7YCF]

22nd Dec 2008, 10:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
1031982 Super Active Join Date: 25 Feb 2003 Location: USA Posts: 1,628 Reputation: 285 Rep Power: 10	Wow... I hope they can keep the other plants open. Over the years, their HDD's have been the more reliable for the systems I build, and I recommend them all the time. __________________ Running : Gigabyte EP45-DS3R, Intel E7200 C2D, 4GB DDR2 Dual Channel, WD Raptor 74GB, WD 500 GB HDD, ASUS 16X DVD-ROM, LiteOn 16X DVD+/-RW, 1.44 MB Floppy, ATI Radeon HD 4850, Dell 2005FPW, and a SB Audigy2 ZS PRO with Logitech Z5300e speakers.

22nd Dec 2008, 09:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
mikegas I'm a regular Join Date: 7 May 2008 Posts: 464 Reputation: 206 Rep Power: 4	Yeah, it is true.. very sad indeed. My hometown.. Is actually a WD-Komag plant (media substrate). WD has also close down the Navanakorn plant in Thailand ...

23rd Dec 2008, 12:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
belikethat Active Join Date: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 597 Reputation: 58 Rep Power: 4	my fren got accepted in WD but got hold up last minute just recently. it's crunch time =/ __________________ Control Panel Settings & Options Edit Signature

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