Musa (front row, fourth left) and his wife, Toh Puan Faridah Tussin, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Panglima Kadzim M. Yahya and state assemblymen at the opening ceremony of the fifth term of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly for 2025, today.
KOTA KINABALU (April 10): Focus will be given to developing more downstream activities in Sabah’s key industries, including biomass, palm oil, industrial tree plantations, as well as oil and gas.
The Head of State, Tun Musa Aman, said this when delivering the government’s policy address during the opening ceremony of the fifth term of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly for 2025, today.
“We are now approaching the final phase of the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK-12) and the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan 1.0: 2021–2025. Both of these key development policies have been designed with various initiatives and programmes aimed at driving the economy and improving the people’s wellbeing in a holistic and inclusive manner.
“To realise this goal, I call on all parties to continue cooperating to ensure the successful implementation of every initiative outlined in RMK-12 and the SMJ Development Plan.
“With the rise in investment inflows, the manufacturing sector continues to play a crucial role in stimulating the state’s economy. Ongoing investment in this sector not only has a positive impact on manufacturing but also provides opportunities for technological integration, strengthening infrastructure, and creating employment.
“To this end, attention will be given to developing more downstream activities in key industries, including biomass, palm oil, industrial tree plantations, and oil and gas,” he said.
By encouraging the growth of these sectors, Musa said the state also has the potential to attract further investments, thereby fostering more sustainable economic development.
In his speech, Musa mentioned that Sabah recorded a total investment of RM6.5 billion last year, with 38.7 percent of that contributed by the manufacturing sector. This clearly demonstrates that the State Government’s efforts to develop the manufacturing sector are on the right track and have successfully attracted greater investor interest.
He added that the State Government’s continued commitment to supporting investment growth is evident through the planned development of three new industrial parks in Kudat, Kota Belud and Beaufort.
These three industrial parks are expected to open up more investment and job opportunities for locals over the next five to ten years.
Meanwhile, Musa also expressed concern over extreme climate change and the increasing frequency of natural disasters. He noted that such conditions could threaten food security if the government fails to take proactive steps to strengthen food resilience.
“Therefore, it is crucial for the State Government to strive to enhance productivity in the agriculture sector, which is a key supplier of food and raw materials for Sabah’s agro-based industries.
“Under the Third Sabah State Agricultural Policy, 2017–2026, the rice and paddy industry has been identified as a key sector to be strengthened in order to ensure continuous and sustainable food security.
Various initiatives have been planned and intensified in line with the SMJ Development Plan, aiming to raise the rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) to 60 percent by 2030.
“To support this effort, the State Government is also ramping up research and innovation activities to develop more resilient and high-quality crop varieties.
“Between 2021 and 2024, a total of ten new crop varieties were developed. This year, the Sabah Department of Agriculture has successfully introduced two more, including the Tuaran Quality Rice 3 (TQR3), which has the potential to produce high-quality rice with resistance to diseases and pests,” he said.
Musa also emphasised that the State Government is continuing efforts to strengthen the production of other crops, including avocados. This is in line with the government’s commitment to position Sabah as a major avocado producer by 2030.
Similar initiatives are also being undertaken for other premium food crops with export potential, such as Musang King durians and MD2 pineapples.
In the fisheries sector, although Sabah has already achieved more than 100 percent self-sufficiency (SSL), Musa said the State Government will focus on strengthening enforcement, attracting investments, and exploring the potential of deep-sea fishing and commercial aquaculture.
In the livestock sector, he revealed that Sabah recorded a promising increase in self-sufficiency (SSL), rising from 2.94 percent in 2021 to 9.33 percent in 2024.
By 2030, the State Government is targeting an SSL of 25 percent for ruminant livestock. To achieve this, it will ensure that disease control and livestock biosecurity are further enhanced.
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