East Malaysia infrastructure boom continues to spur Meta Bright to deliver strong yoy growth

MAIN Market-listed diversified energy conglomerate Meta Bright Group Bhd has experienced continued momentum from its East Malaysia multi-year infrastructure expansion in its 1Q FY6/2026 ended Sept 30, 2025.

The group’s revenue for the period under review edged up 24% year-on-year (yoy) to RM72.92 mil from RM58.69 mil in the previous year’s corresponding quarter.

The performance was mainly driven by the group’s Building Materials segment which benefited from sustained demand for ready-mix concrete across Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and surrounding growth corridors in Sabah.

However, its net profit came in marginally lower at RM3.71 mil (1Q FY6/2025: RM4.3 mil) largely due to reduced other operating income and the absence of one-off gains recognised in the previous year.

On a normalised basis, excluding non-recurring items from the previous year, the group delivered a stronger underlying profit for the quarter.

Building material division leads the way

The Building Materials segment operated through the group’s 70%-owned subsidiary Expogaya Sdn Bhd recorded a revenue of RM55.5 mil, up RM7.6 mil yoy. Demand remained robust supported by both public and private sector civil works.

Such performance is consistent with Sabah’s multi-year development agenda, including the RM6.7 bil state allocation under Budget 2025 and broader infrastructure development across key districts.

Moving forward, Meta Bright expects the Building Materials segment to remain a major earnings contributor as East Malaysia’s development cycle continues.

Elsewhere, revenue from the group’s property development division rose sharply to RM8.5 mil on the back of accrued revenue from the sale of the completed inventories.

The hospitality division delivered RM7.2 mil in revenue, slightly higher yoy in view of stronger room bookings and higher convention and event activity at the five-star Grand Renai Hotel in Kota Bharu.

During the quarter and subsequent months:

• The group’s EV (electric vehicle) charging joint venture (JV), Meta Bright ChargeSini Sdn Bhd, commenced operations following the novation of four EV charging station projects in July 2025.
• Additional novation agreements were completed in the same month, thus strengthening the JV’s initial portfolio of charging assets.
• Installation under the Zero-Capex Energy Efficiency Programme for TMG Mart is progressing.

Meta Bright Group Bhd’s executive director (corporate and strategic planning) Derek Phang Kiew Lim

“We see encouraging demand trends as we enter FY2026, particularly in Sabah where construction activity remains healthy,” commented Meta Bright’s executive director (corporate and strategic planning) Derek Phang Kiew Lim.

“The strength of the building materials division reflects the structural growth taking place in East Malaysia, of we are well-positioned to support that momentum.”

Added Phang: “At the same time, we’re making steady progress in developing new income streams through renewable energy, energy efficiency and EV charging.

‘These initiatives complement our core businesses and will expand our recurring income base as they scale. We’re focused on execution and building sustainable growth across the group.”