Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor
KOTA KINABALU (Nov 26): The Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) should take advantage of the many opportunities presented in the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) initiatives.
“The Hala Tuju SMJ is one of the government’s top aspirations to bring comprehensive and rapid development to Sabah. I want to see everyone including FSI capitalising on the business and investment opportunities.
“The State Government’s success in reaching the Commercial Collaboration Agreement (CCA) with Petronas in the oil and gas sector provides ample room for everyone to do business,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
Speaking at the FSI 39th anniversary dinner at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Saturday night, the Chief Minister said as the state chief executive, it was his aspiration to chart a path for a progressive Sabah.
“We have never stopped in our efforts to bring more progress for Sabah and the wellbeing of the people. In that, we resolved to continue our mission.
“The Hala Tuju SMJ launched early last year is heading on the right track. It outlined the vision, strategy and priority of the State Government for the next five years beginning in 2021.
“This action plan is crucial to carry Sabah onto the next decade,” said the Chief Minister in his speech delivered by Deputy Chief Minister and Industrial Development Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
Last year, through the Hala Tuju SMJ development plan, Sabah recorded RM5.449 billion in revenue, the highest ever.
“I have been reiterating that with the right focus and management, we will be able to gain a bigger revenue this year that is more than RM6 billion,” he said.
In terms of attracting more investments, he said that in the period of two years (Sept 2020-2022) Sabah remained consistent with 46 companies investing in the manufacturing sector and creating some 5,000 job opportunities.
During the same period, the total foreign investments chalked were RM12 billion and RM942 million in domestic investments, he said, adding that Sabah would continue to push this positive momentum as “we are confident that Sabah has been and will continue to be an attractive investment destination.”
Hajiji said FSI’s anniversary theme this year “Sabah: Hub for the Far East – AI + Human = Future” truly reflected the need of the post-pandemic era, particularly in doing business in the future.
“Merging new technology in businesses for a better delivery system is a process that we must go through,” he said, adding that the FSI can count on the State Government’s support.
“We are taking every step to improve and transform not only the state civil service but
also encourage business growth in the state,” he said.