Sabah Attracts RM11.37 Bln In Approved Investments In 1H 2025 - Tengku Zafrul

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Sabah recorded RM11.37 billion in approved investments across various economic sectors in the first half of 2025 (1H 2025), said Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

The minister said that the investments include manufacturing, services, and primary sectors, creating over 7,800 job opportunities in the state since 2022.

He said this achievement reflects investors’ confidence in Sabah’s economic potential, particularly with the implementation of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), which positions the state as a hub for downstream manufacturing and renewable energy.

“In this regard, MITI, in collaboration with the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE) and Invest Sabah Bhd (ISB), organised the KenalESG Awareness Programme on Oct 30, 2025, in Kota Kinabalu.

“This initiative will enhance the capacity of Sabah’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to become part of the supply chains of larger corporations,” Tengku Zafrul said during the Prime Minister’s Engagement Session with the Sabah Industrial Association here today.

Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

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Tengku Zafrul added that MITI has also launched several complementary policies under the MADANI government, including the Green Investment Strategy (GIS), the i-ESG Framework, the Chemical Industry Roadmap 2030 (CIR 2030), and the National Semiconductor Strategy, all of which open up new investment opportunities for Sabah.

“Rest assured, the government remains proactive and innovative in driving the nation’s industrial transformation,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul said that MITI, through its agency the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), is actively promoting green investments, with potential projects worth RM7.3 billion secured during the IGEM 2025 Conference in October.

Expanding on this, Tengku Zafrul said high-technology downstream development initiatives such as the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Lahad Datu serve as catalysts for local economic growth through palm biomass processing and downstream petrochemical activities.

“The value chain developed here covers the entire ecosystem — from the collection of raw biomass materials and processing into intermediate chemicals, to the production of end products such as bioplastics, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and cosmetics,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul emphasised that close cooperation between the federal and Sabah governments is key to ensuring the success of these policies, including accelerating investment approvals and enhancing investor facilitation.

He also assured that all allocations under Budget 2026 can be utilised by companies in Sabah, including the Strategic Co-Investment Fund (CoSIF) worth RM200 million and the NIMP Industrial Development Fund (NIDF) amounting to RM180 million.

-- BERNAMA