KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Madiyem Layapan has been appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Sabah Oil Palm Industry Authority (SOPIA), a new agency under the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI).
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry, Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, presented the appointment certificate to him during a brief ceremony here on Tuesday..
Madiyem, 66, brings extensive experience in public service, having worked in several ministries and held positions as Permanent Secretary and District Officer.
He also previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Invest Sabah Berhad before taking his last position as General Manager of the Sabah Padi and Rice Board (LPBS).
SOPIA was established to manage the planting, development and direction of the palm oil industry in Sabah.
Jamawi said the appointment is part of efforts to strengthen the management of the agency to ensure the state’s palm oil industry development can be carried out more systematically.
He stated that SOPIA is expected to work with stakeholders in the industry, including coordinating existing roles and approaches to prevent overlap with initiatives already implemented.
According to him, discussions with the Federal Minister of Plantation and Commodities were also held to ensure SOPIA’s role and implementation align with palm oil industry development efforts.
Also present were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Datuk Ts. Jifrin Mohamad and SOPIA’s General Manager, Julia Majail
