Sabah recorded RM10.2bil investments from January to September, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has done well in attracting domestic and foreign investments with some RM10.2bil recorded from January to September this year, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Chief Minister said these investments had created 891 jobs through 99 projects.

He said this represented 13 projects from the manufacturing sector, seven from the primary sector (mining, plantation and commodity) and 79 from the services sector (real estate, trade and distribution, tourism and utilities).

“The establishment of a dedicated state investment task force spoke volumes of the state government’s commitment to providing comprehensive support, guidance, and a conducive environment for investors to thrive and succeed.

“The government has taken proactive steps to ensure investing in Sabah continues to be as seamless as possible in areas such as the energy sector, green technology-based products, biomass downstream products, oil and gas and tourism,” Hajiji said.

He said this in his speech delivered by his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, who is also the state Local Government and Housing Minister, at the Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) 40th Anniversary Gala Night here on Saturday (Dec 16).

Towards this end, Hajiji urged the FSI to continue positive collaborations, such as at the Sabah International Expo (SIE), to promote business and trade to attract more domestic and international investors to Sabah.

“Collaboration and synergy between the business community and government are key to ensure seamless implementation of our development agenda that will not only benefit our state but also contribute significantly to the nation’s prosperity,” he said.

He added the state government has always appreciated the private sector’s support as partners in progress of the development of Sabah.

“Our development agenda under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan that focuses on the three main thrusts of agriculture, industry and tourism as the economic growth focus as well as human capital and people’s well-being, infrastructure network and green sustainability, has borne fruits going into the third year,” Hajiji said.

He said Sabah welcomed investors to look into investment and business opportunities in new industries, including the emerging Blue Economy concept of sustainable use of marine resources for economic development to generate jobs and improve the people’s livelihood.

As Sabah also formed the core of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), he said, the state can look forward to deeper economic integration in this region.

This enables the state to become a regional nexus for manufacturing, maritime, and transportation, catering to both emerging and established nations beyond Sabah’s shores, he said.

“I applaud FSI’s efforts to not only see Sabah developed as an economic hub but also for its resolve to protect, promote and ensure a stable, conducive and transparent business environment across all industries.

“Your objective aligns with the state government’s aspiration of progressing Industry as one of the main SMJ thrusts,” Hajiji said.