KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Fellows Programme is more than just a youth development initiative; it serves as a nursery for Sabah’s future leadership by shaping a generation capable of leading, driving the economy and determining the direction of the State.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said being selected as an SMJ Fellow was not merely about participating in a programme, but represented the trust, responsibility and investment placed in them for Sabah’s future.
He said the participants were chosen because the State Government saw their potential and talent to be at the forefront of decision-making, leading organisations, driving the economy and shaping the direction of the State.
“I want the SMJ Fellows to see this not merely as an opportunity to gain experience, but as a responsibility to prepare themselves to become part of the generation that will take Sabah forward,” he said at the Presentation of Appointment Letters for the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Fellows 5.0 at Dewan Bankuasi, Menara Kinabalu, here today.
Hajiji said that through SMJ Fellows 5.0, he wanted the programme to continue growing not only in terms of participation or activities, but more importantly in terms of its impact on the future of Sabah’s youth.
“We want those who participate in this programme to emerge with greater maturity, stronger confidence, broader networks and the genuine ability to contribute to the State,” he said.
He said the State Government greatly appreciated the commitment of governmentlinked companies (GLCs), which have continued to support the SMJ Fellows Programme by opening their doors to young Sabahans and exposing them to the real world of management, administration and the corporate sector.For SMJ Fellows 5.0,
Hajiji said the development of Sabah’s human capital must become part of the core commitment of GLCs in the State and not merely be treated as a programme or corporate social responsibility initiative.
“Developing Sabah’s talent must be part of our agenda in developing the State. Sabah has many intelligent, creative, courageous and ambitious young people, but some may simply need an opportunity or a mentor to help them realise their potential.
“We do not want to nurture talent only to see them having to leave because they cannot find opportunities to excel in their own State. We want Sabahans to have the option of building their future here,” he said.
He said that under the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan 2.0 (SMJ 2.0), Sabah needed competitive human capital to drive the State’s transformation towards a sustainable and high-technology economy of the future.
He said the qualities required included producing a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of modern industries, being technologically and digitally literate, possessing strong integrity and being creative.
“That is why, to me, the SMJ Fellows Programme is not merely a youth development programme. It is a nursery for Sabah’s future leadership,” he said.
Hajiji said the State Government did not only want to produce leaders who excelled in knowledge and skills, but more importantly leaders who were people-oriented, able to understand the pulse of the community, bring the people’s voices to the policy-makingtable and place their love for the State above self-interest.
He urged the SMJ Fellows 5.0 participants to use the opportunity as a platform for leadership development by cultivating discipline, empathy, vision and courage, while making integrity a core personal value.
