YS remains a strategic partner: CM
Published on: Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: The Yayasan Sabah group remains relevant as a strategic partner to the State Government towards improving the socio-economic and well-being of the people, said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.Musa, who is Chairman of the YS Board of Trustees said it should continue to play a more effective role by acting as a government development agency."The foundation should be seen as an organisation that is always with people and be the bridge that connects the people and the government.
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"YS must be prepared to shoulder the responsibility as an organisation which is committed to social responsibility and to utilise all economic opportunities," he said when speaking at an event marking his 20 years' service with YS, Monday.At the event, he also launched the KYS Transformation Book 2013-2023, containing the strategic plan and action for all social programmes in KYS.YS Director, Datuk Sapawi Ahmad said it was apt for Musa to be known as "Bapa Pemodenan Sabah" for his success in steering Sabah towards development and prosperity.Sapawi said Musa had promised to manage the foundation to the best of his abilities and pledged to be committed in pushing the organisation.
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"Now, 20 years later, we can see he is a man of his words as the Yayasan Sabah Group continues to grow," he said.Musa who was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 2003 kept intact the Foundation's focus on education.
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Yayasan Sabah College which focused more on technical courses is now widening its field of studies as more opportunities are given to local youths to further their studies in the institution. The group had also established its own University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) that further widened its role in the State's education development. Its core business cover agro-plantation, tourism and hospitality besides education, are the core businesses of Yayasan Sabah Group. Over the years, the organisation had also invested in business industries such as oil and gas, biotechnology and horticulture and fisheries and food industries. The Group also invested to contribute to high-end tourism through Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE). Musa's birthday was also celebrated with guests during the ceremony."Following the success of International CEOs Conference (2005 & 2008), International Women Executive Congress 2007 and Blue Ocean Strategy Conference 2009, Musa spearheaded the initiative for Yayasan Sabah Group to develop the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC). "With the development of SICC, Sabah will be the hub of smart partnership, brainstorming and is anticipated to indirectly provide 10,000 job opportunities," said Sapawi. The organisation also doubled its effort in conservation in Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon through collaborations with local and international organisations such as Petronas, Akademi Sains Malaysia, Shell (Malaysia), The Royal Society (United Kingdom), Nature, Ecology and People Consult (NEPCon), Face-the-Future (Netherlands), IKEA (Sweden) and DANCED/DANIDA (Denmark). To date, around 450 projects had been done and 378 individuals have obtained their doctorates and Masters in their respective field of studies in Danum Valley and Maliau Basin. In addition, Sabah Foundation is in the midst of developing two new conservation areas which are Sungai Taliwas and Silam Coast conservation areas, apart from large scale working on its large scale rehabilitation projects namely, Innoprise-FACE Foundation Rainforest Rehabilitation Project (INFAPRO) as well as Innoprise-IKEA Forest Rehabilitation Project (INIKEA) aimed to regenerate highly-degraded forest. "With these conservation efforts, I believe that more opportunities will come for Yayasan Sabah Group to work with local and international organisations in ensuring that this natural heritage live on for generations to come," added Sapawi. Apart from this, Yayasan Sabah Group has created Pelan Strategik Transformasi Kumpulan Yayasan Sabah (2013 – 2023) in line with the halatuju of the Federal government through National Blue Ocean Strategy. There are eleven initiatives under this plan, four were implemented in 2006 namely E-Library, PDCB, Yayasan Sabah Bersama Rakyat (YSBR) and Pusat Kraftangan Sabah (PKS), while seven initiatives soon to be implemented are Tabung Pendidikan Negeri Sabah (TPNS), Pusat Pembangunan Pendidikan Kanak-Kanak (3PKK), GRAD-SKILLS, Program Pembangunan Masyarakat (PPM), Sukarelawan Yayasan Sabah, Desa Budaya Rakyat and YS NIAGA. "Indeed, these efforts were made possible with the initiatives and endless support from Musa. A visionary man, Musa came up with the idea of establishing Pusat Kraftangan Sabah (PKS) in Keningau to enhance the handicraft industry in Sabah and boost the economy of the communities living in the rural area," he said. PKS is by far, Yayasan Sabah Group's most successful projects under the Program Desa Cemerlang dan Berinovasi (PDCB), a programme that aims for rural development in a balanced and holistic approach while focusing on human capital development.To date, Yayasan Sabah Group through its zone offices and PKS, has trained nearly 19,000 people in handicraft making and has created young handicraft entrepreneurs. PKS has become a handicraft innovation centre and will continue its efforts in turning local handicrafts into global brands. Sabah Foundation Group is also venturing into talent management where efforts are taken to manage, assist and develop potential new business entrepreneurs. This begins through PKS where training on handicraft making as well as marketing are given to the handicraft entrepreneurs. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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