KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is advocating for Sabah to explore new avenues for income generation and reduce reliance on traditional revenue sources like crude oil and rubber. As the Chief Minister, he has directed the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia) to collaborate with key government agencies and private sectors to identify fresh economic resources for the state.
Hajiji emphasized the need for a shift in Sabah’s socio-economic development approach during the Sedia board meeting at the Rumpun Bajau Samah Cultural Centre in Lok Batik, Tuaran district. He highlighted the necessity to move away from conventional economic resources such as oil palm, oil, gas, and rubber, and focus on diversifying the state’s economic assets.
The Chief Minister stressed the importance of leveraging research, development, and commercialization activities to achieve this goal. He cited figures from the Statistics Department, revealing that Sabah’s major exports in 2022 included crude palm oil worth RM21.1 billion, liquefied natural gas at RM5.2 billion, crude petroleum at RM30 billion, and palm kernel oil at RM3.1 billion.
Hajiji urged for the exploration of new markets for non-commodity products and the ramping up of production for non-commodity goods with significant export potential. He also called upon research centers in Sabah to contribute towards knowledge development, innovation, and the creation of high-quality tradeable products.
With over 21 research centers in the state, Hajiji sees an opportunity to capitalize on their research outputs to bolster Sabah’s downstream activities. He expressed hope that findings from Sedia’s past, ongoing, and future studies would be effectively utilized by relevant government bodies.
Some of the ongoing studies highlighted by the Chief Minister include the revamp of tourism in the Mesilau highlands, redevelopment of Poring Hot Spring in Ranau district, economic development at the Sabah Border, and the Business and Economic Master Plan for the POIC (Palm Oil Industrial Cluster) in Sandakan.
Hajiji emphasized the importance of sharing and widely utilizing findings from these studies not just for development project recommendations but also as a resource for both local and foreign investors. He urged for proactive participation from all stakeholders to capitalize on the research outcomes for Sabah’s benefit.
