Kota Kinabalu: Kapayan incumbent Datuk Jannie Lasimbang said the roofing installation at Kapayan Square is now underway, reflecting the physical realisation of a strategic vision years in the making.
Jannie said that her extensive social entrepreneurship programs, including micro grants, skills training in cooking, tailoring, mushroom cultivation and vegetable farming, were never standalone initiatives, but deliberate preparation for this moment.
“These programs were not randomly selected. They were strategic steps toward a bigger vision, preparing our community to thrive when Kapayan Square becomes a local entrepreneurship hub,” she said.
Situated minutes from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, the square is ideally positioned to become Sabah’s nearest tourism and community destination for arriving visitors.
The weather-protected space will enable local entrepreneurs to sell products, host cultural events and attract both residents and tourists.
Jannie said social entrepreneurship offers sustainable employment in today’s economy.
“When people create value through their own skills, whether food, crafts or farming, they gain economic independence that cannot be taken away,” she said.
The roofing project, backed by the Local Government Development Ministry, transforms the former open marketplace into a structured space uniting culture, community, and commerce.
Jannie is also working with Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu on a multi-storey car park and market proposal under the 13th Malaysia Plan and is confident in an imminent approval with support from the Mayor and Sabah Government.
“Kapayan Square will be more than a marketplace, it is proof that when you prepare people first, they are ready when opportunity arrives,” she said.
