From left, Chin, Liew, Chong, Liang, Lau and Yih Sin jointly cut the ribbon to mark the launching of the Malaysia-China 45 Years of Glory Photo Exhibition at Suria Sabah Mall.
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government is committed to expedite the issuance of licences down to two months or less to lure investors into Sabah, said Assistant Minister of Trade and Industries Ben Chong.
Chong said the State Government could also consider allocating land for investors as well.
He said his ministry had set a target to raise the industrial sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Sabah from currently seven per cent to 35 per cent by 2030.
As such, he urged the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah branch, Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) and Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide, to assist the government in bringing more investors to Sabah.
Chong said that when officiating at the Malaysia-China 45 Years of Glory Photo Exhibition at Suria Sabah Mall here yesterday. The exhibition was organized by MCCC, executed by MCCC Sabah branch with the support from the Embassy of China in Malaysia and Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu.
Chong said he was informed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal that the State Government could allocate land for investors.
He continued to say that investors often complained about the long wait pertaining to the approval of licences that could drag on for months and up to a year.
He assured that the State Government was committed towards expediting the approval process for licences.
“Our target is to issue licences within one to two months.
“Investors no longer have to wait for one to two years.”
Chong also pledged to facilitate foreign investment into Sabah and resolve the issues that arose.
In addition, he said the State Government had decided to build a deep sea port in Kudat, a district closest to China.
“Shipping vessels take a week to travel from China to Port Klang, but the journey to Kudat only takes two days, which saves a lot of time.”
He also urged local entrepreneurs to seize the opportunities that arose from the move of Indonesia’s capital to Kalimantan as there would be up to hundreds of billions of ringgit worth of investment in the region.
Meanwhile, Liang said the exhibition displayed 120 photographs that portrayed the fruitful outcome of the exchanges in trade, education, culture, sports and other fields over the past 45 years of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia.
“The photographs, captioned in Mandarin, Malay and English languages, allowed all races in Sabah to learn more about China and the historical milestones shared by both countries.”
MCCC vice president Datuk Lau Kok Sing said Malaysia was one of the first countries that supported the Belt and Road initiative.
Since 2018, he said China had invested 422 projects in the manufacturing sector which created 73,000 job opportunities.
“China has been the largest foreign direct investment in our manufacturing sector for the past three consecutive years.”
He added that organizations and economists worldwide have speculated that China’s GDP would surpass the United States by 2030 and become the largest economy in the world.
He believed that the Belt and Road initiative would propel China’s economy to greater heights, which in turn would benefit the trade partnership between China and Malaysia.
On the other hand, Chin said the photo exhibition was held not only in Kuala Lumpur, but would also be displayed in Malacca, Perak, Johor, Penang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Sarawak and Selangor.
He hoped that the exhibition would not only further enhance the Malaysia-China relations, but also realize the aspirations and suggestions of MCCC, including to reinforce investors’ confidence, creating a more conducive business and tourism environment, improve the diplomatic ties and step up engagement in the Belt and Road initiative.
Also present were SCCC president Datuk Frankie Liew and organizing chairman Liew Yih Sin.