The Borneo Oil Berhad (BornOil) group has appointed the Wah Kong Corporation (Wah Kong) group as its official distributor for its ‘Sabasco’ brand of hot sauces throughout West Malaysia.
Ever since its launch in 2021, Sabasco has taken Sabah and Sarawak by storm and is now gaining traction in the peninsular.
The partnership was recently finalised by BornOil subsidiary SB Supplies and Logistics Sdn Bhd (SB Supplies) with Wah Kong subsidiary Momentum Strike Sdn Bhd (Momentum).
SB Supplies general manager Sri Ganesh Balasubramaniam, who represented BornOil at the signing of agreement, said that this distributorship agreement stems from consumers’ overwhelming demand for this range of unique sauces.
Wah Kong, meanwhile, was represented by Momentum business manager Wing Yee Tin.
“Locally inspired by Sabah’s lada, a chilli condiment always available on a number of dine-in tables in restaurants, kopitiams and various eateries, Sabasco is tangy, sweet, spicy and aims to enhance meals to much higher levels of satisfaction,” said Ganesh.
The key ingredient of Sabasco, which stands for ‘Sabah Sauce Chilli Company’, is the momporok chilli from Kunak, Sabah.
Ganesh explained that it took more than five years to research, develop and perfect the Sabasco taste, starting with a search for quantities of the elusive small and fiery momporok chilli before BornOil commenced R&D to come up with the ideal tastes.
Today, Sabasco comes in four varieties: Original, Sweet and Spicy, Green and the A1 ‘Tok Sai’ flavour.
“Kunak is located on the East Coast of Sabah, and is best known for its nutrient-rich soil due to volcanic activity dating back over millions of years just as the island of Borneo was forming,” said Ganesh.
Working directly with plantations and farmers, BornOil plans to provide the support that goes beyond securing successful harvests.
Initiatives being implemented include future long term supply agreements to increase job prospects and security within the industry, boosting the agricultural sector in Kunak and ongoing efforts to position Sabah as a haven for the best chillis in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
