Jonnybone (second row sixth left) poses with organisers, speakers, and delegates during the luncheon.
KOTA KINABALU (July 31): Sabah is positioning itself as a leading destination for offshore energy investment in Southeast Asia, with the state government inviting global industry players to partner in developing its vast energy potential.
Assistant Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister Datuk Jonnybone Kurum said Sabah offers strategic advantages for offshore energy projects, backed by strong cooperation between the state and federal governments to accelerate responsible investment.
Speaking during the VIP Luncheon on Corporate and Strategic Engagement held in conjunction with the Offshore Energy Asia (OEA) 2026 Conference, he said Sabah is well placed to become a regional hub for floating energy solutions and the energy transition.
Jonnybone said discussions throughout the two-day conference, covering floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG), carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), project financing, insurance, engineering, and construction, reflected the growing importance of the offshore energy sector.
“This is no longer a niche industry gathering. It is a genuine cross-section of the people who will decide where the next decade of offshore energy investment in Asia actually lands.
“And I am here today to make the case that it should land, in significant part, right here in Sabah,” he said.
He said this year’s conference theme, ‘Integrating Floating Energy Solutions for the New Energy Transition Era’, aligns closely with Sabah’s aspirations to play a central role in the region’s future energy landscape.
According to Jonnybone, Sabah’s deep-water basins, proven and prospective hydrocarbon reserves, and extensive coastline make it well suited for floating production, storage facilities, and offshore renewable energy infrastructure.
He noted that Sabah already hosts world-class floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) and FLNG operations, providing a strong foundation for future expansion.
“The track record is not incidental. It reflects geological and logistical advantages that remain, even now, very much untapped,” he said.
Jonnybone said the state government works closely with Petronas, Sabah International Petroleum, and relevant federal agencies to streamline investment approvals and strengthen coordination between state and federal authorities.
He said industrial development, entrepreneurship, and sustainable energy are among the key priorities under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 Roadmap 2026-2030.
“When my ministry engages with an investor, we do so knowing that the Chief Minister’s Office, the Finance Ministry, and our sister agencies stand aligned behind the same priorities.
“Resources attract investors. Reliability keeps them. That is the model Sabah is building,” he said.
Jonnybone also highlighted Sabah’s commitment to developing local talent through an 80 per cent local workforce policy for new investment projects.
He said the policy is aimed at creating long-term partnerships between investors and Sabahans while ensuring local communities benefit from economic growth.
The state, he added, is collaborating with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and industry players on job matching, upskilling, reskilling, and certification programmes to prepare a skilled workforce capable of supporting incoming investments.
Jonnybone said Sabah offers significant opportunities across several emerging sectors, including floating production, FLNG, CCUS, offshore wind and floating renewable energy.
He described Sabah’s ongoing CCUS initiatives as providing an early-mover advantage for technology providers and investors entering the market ahead of wider regulatory developments across the region.
While acknowledging that offshore wind remains at an early stage, he said companies that engage with Sabah now will be well positioned as the sector expands across Southeast Asia.
He also pointed to opportunities in engineering, marine services, fabrication yards, marine contracting, and specialised technology industries to support the offshore energy value chain.
Jonnybone invited companies attending the conference to establish long-term partnerships with Sabah rather than viewing the state solely as an investment destination.
“Floating LNG, floating production systems, offshore wind, and carbon management are not competing priorities. They are complementary pillars of one energy transition, and Sabah is positioning itself to host all of them together,” he said.
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