KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is at a critical stage in its economic development, and all government ministries, departments and agencies must work together as “Team Sabah” to support and facilitate investors, particularly those investing in the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park and port.
This was emphasised by POIC Sabah Chairman, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, during the opening of a three-day corporate culture workshop in Lahad Datu recently.
Madius, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tuaran and State Assemblyman for Tamparuli, said the call for greater coordination comes amid growing concern over the increasing number of Sabahan youths seeking employment opportunities outside the state due to the shortage of quality jobs and industrial-based opportunities at home.
“This situation cannot continue if we are serious about retaining talent and building a stronger future for Sabah.
“For Sabah’s industrial parks to remain attractive to investors, the overall cost of doing business must remain competitive.
“This includes ensuring a consistent and reliable supply of utilities such as electricity and water, as well as efficient logistics and transportation systems to support industrial operations and export activities,” he said.
The workshop brought together about 100 participants comprising POIC Sabah board members and staff, representatives from state and federal ministries and agencies, as well as industry players.
The event was officiated by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III and Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MINDET), Datuk Ewon Benedick.
Also present were MINDET Permanent Secretary, Datuk Thomas Logijin, Sabah Ministry of Finance Deputy Permanent Secretary (Development) Datuk Chee Shok Ting, Director of the Sabah State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) Datuk Jasmine Teo, POIC Sabah Deputy Chairman Dato’ Dr Janathan Kandok, Members of POIC Board, and Group Chief Executive Officer of POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd Datuk Fredian Gan.
According to Madius, the Sabah Government has already taken positive steps to attract investments, including the introduction of Free Zone status at POIC Lahad Datu, which offers tax incentives to investors.
He said these initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to industrialisation and economic transformation.
However, he stressed that more collective action is needed.
“Compared to states such as Penang, Johor and Selangor, where the industrial sector contributes more than 30 per cent to their respective Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Sabah’s industrial contribution has remained stagnant at approximately 7.2 per cent.
“This clearly indicates that Sabah still possesses tremendous untapped industrial potential that must be urgently developed,” he said.
Madius also called on all ministries, departments and agencies to move away from the silo mentality that has long hindered progress.
“The time has come for all stakeholders to work cohesively with a common purpose as Team Sabah to accelerate Sabah’s economic transformation, strengthen investor confidence, and create sustainable employment and business opportunities for the people of Sabah,” he said.
He added that economic transformation cannot rest on the shoulders of a single ministry or agency alone, but instead requires strong coordination, shared responsibility and a united commitment across the entire government machinery.
Meanwhile, Datuk Fredian Gan said POIC Sabah is aggressively promoting the industrial park to attract more high impact investors in manufacturing.
He said success depends heavily on close collaboration among all agencies and departments in Sabah, including POIC itself.
“To make this a success, POIC Sabah and all related government agencies must stand together as Team Sabah to position our industrial parks as preferred destinations for strategic investors,” he said.
Gan said among the initiatives currently being explored are the development of an oil and gas support ecosystem, high-value bioeconomy industries, ESG-driven initiatives, a green automated port, a green trucking ecosystem, POIC’s own power infrastructure, as well as centres of excellence for renewable energy and bioeconomy.
He added that POIC Sabah is also exploring the development of a regional data centre ecosystem to further strengthen Sabah’s long-term economic resilience and industrial competitiveness.
