LAHAD DATU: The Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) called on the Federal Government to strive to assist the Sabah Government to attract more investors, both domestic and foreign, to invest in the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) in Lahad Datu.
Its President Tan Sri TC Goh said this is necessary to transform POIC Lahad Datu into a key palm oil downstream processing hub in the world.
Goh, who is also a member of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council (SEAC), acknowledged that POIC Lahad Datu is one of the key strategic projects under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan, which among others, aimed to accelerate industrialisation of Sabah, to provide quality employment for the people of Sabah and to boost the State’s economy.
“The declaration of POIC Lahad Datu port’s full operation as a public port, in June this year, has obviously given more weight to Lahad Datu as a key player in the global palm oil market,” he said.
Goh, who is also President of The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong) and The Federation of Sabah and Labuan Hokkien Associations (FSLHA), said this when leading the delegation of exco members of FCAS and FSLHA during a visit to POIC Lahad Datu.
Goh and his delegation were received by POIC Chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and its Board of Directors, during the visit and tour of the POIC and its port.
Goh reiterated that following the re-opening of the country’s economic sectors and borders after the Covid-19 pandemic subsided, the Federal Government should step up efforts to assist the Sabah government to boost its economic and investment sectors, and this includes attracting more domestic and foreign investors to set up operations in POIC Lahad Datu.
POIC Lahad Datu was set up by the State Government in 2005 to spearhead the development of palm oil downstream processing to add value to its 1.55 million hectares of oil palm plantations, to create jobs and business opportunities.
POIC Lahad Datu Port has been in operation since 2013 but it was restricted to the cargo of investors at the industrial park.
He was convinced that with its declaration as a public port this year, it would bring about more positive and dynamic developments to Lahad Datu, especially transforming the district into a hub for logistics, manufacturing, processing, transfer and consolidation of goods in the BIMP-EAGA region.
POIC Lahad Datu is the only industrial park equipped with port facilities, including a container terminal, dry bulk jetty, liquid bulk jetty and barge landing site.
Meanwhile, during his briefing, Yong too encouraged more entrepreneurs to come and invest in POIC Lahad Datu.
He also assured that POIC Lahad Datu would be engaging with the local business organisations after this, with the chief aim of forging partnership to better promote the industrial park.
