First technology incubator building in Sabah

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Daud (centre) and Roff (second right) holding the final packaged fish-based products at Kota Kinabalu MARDI Technology Incubator, the first in Borneo, yesterday.

KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s first technology incubator building here will unearth more entrepreneurs and local fish-based products in Sabah, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

Shafie said Sabah was the fourth Malaysian state to have Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute’s (Mardi) fourth technology incubator factory with fish-based downstream processing technology.

“Today, we will look at a technology incubator building that will produce successful graduates or incubatees based on the technology that will be used through services offered like technical, physical infrastructure, pioneer factories and advisory services,” he said.

“I have been made to understand that Malaysia only has only three other Mardi Technology Incubators in Alor Setar, Kedah, Kuala Linggi, Melaka and Besut, Terengganu. Surely, we will benefit because this is the first Mardi Technology Incubator building in Sabah, even on Borneo Island.

“With the inauguration of the Kota Kinabalu Mardi Technology Incubator Building today, it will make Sabah the fourth state with the Fish-Based Downstream Processing Technology,” added Shafie, whose speech was delivered by Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Dr Daud Yusof during the 2018 Sabah Mardi Day at Mardi Kota Kinabalu, Jalan Sepanggar here yesterday.

The Chief Minister also assured that the Sabah government would always support Mardi’s efforts and would work together to bring the agriculture industry to greater heights.
Shafie also called for the people to erase the old perception of agriculture being a poor man’s career and instead use the sector to make Sabah wealthy.

The Chief Minister stressed that the agriculture sector has a huge potential in generating income for the people and state.
“This is evident when many entrepreneurs, including the youth in the state, have earned a high income from agriculture. Therefore, people need to change the perception that agriculture is only a career for the poor people.

“We must utilize agriculture to advance the self and family economy as well as to help improve Sabah’s economy at large,” added Shafie.

Mardi director general Datuk Dr Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry’s Young Agroprenuer Unit director Sukairi Samsudin, and Mardi Sabah director Helda Souki attended the ceremony.