Kota Kinabalu: Sabah must strengthen collaboration across ministries, agencies and industry players while creating greater value from its key economic sectors if it is to achieve its RM100 billion gross domestic product (GDP) target under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 Development Plan.
The common message emerged during the Sankalpa Sabah 2030 Programme: Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 Strategic Implementation Forum at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here recently, where senior government officials responsible for industry, tourism and agriculture outlined strategies to accelerate the State’s economic transformation.
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Speaking during the forum titled Driving SMJ 2.0: Accelerating the Three Core Sectors for Sabah’s RM100 Billion GDP Target, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport (Mindet) Datuk Thomas Logijin
(pic), said Sabah could no longer afford to operate in silos.
“We shouldn’t be working in silo anymore,” he said.
Thomas said every ministry and agency must work towards the same objective, noting that industrial development depends not only on investment but also on reliable energy, transport connectivity, logistics, utilities and skilled human capital.
He said Mindet has established a task force involving State and Federal agencies to facilitate investments and resolve issues faced by investors more efficiently.
“The walls must come down,” he said, adding that greater coordination would help accelerate project implementation and improve investor confidence.
Thomas said the collaborative approach had already produced encouraging results and should be further strengthened as Sabah pursues its industrialisation agenda.
Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment (Kepkas) Datuk Josie Lai, said Sabah is likewise shifting its tourism strategy from pursuing visitor numbers to generating higher economic value.
She said the State wants travellers to stay longer, spend more and enjoy authentic experiences that cannot be found elsewhere.
“We aim to increase tourist spending rather than simply increase tourism numbers,” she said.
Josie said community-based tourism, ecotourism and premium nature experiences will continue to underpin Sabah’s tourism development while ensuring forests, marine ecosystems and biodiversity are protected.
She said sustainable tourism requires continued investment in infrastructure, accessibility and conservation so that the industry remains competitive over the long term.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (Maffi) Deputy Permanent Secretary (Management Services) Maria David Edick, said the agriculture sector must continue balancing economic growth with food security while embracing innovation and technology.
She said stronger collaboration with government agencies, private investors and industry players would support the development of smart agriculture, mariculture, the blue economy and agro-tourism.
Maria said Sabah must also strengthen domestic food production, improve productivity and reduce dependence on imported agricultural inputs to enhance long-term resilience.
Responding to questions from participants, the panellists agreed that Sabah’s abundant natural resources should be utilised responsibly by creating greater value through downstream industries, innovation and sustainable development rather than relying solely on increased production.
During a rapid-fire session, all three panellists agreed that while achieving the RM100 billion GDP target remains an important milestone, the true measure of Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0’s success should ultimately be reflected in the improved quality of life of the people.
