SABAH’S ECONOMIC POSITION, INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE REMAIN STRONG OVER PAST FIVE YEARS - HAJIJI

By Rohana Nasrah

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Sabah has continued to strengthen its economic position and investment performance over the past five years, with a range of sectors, including solar, oil and gas, and electric vehicle battery components, continuing to expand.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said foreign investment in Sabah from 2021 to 2024 amounted to RM14.77 billion, while domestic investment totalled RM20.61 billion over the same period.

For the first half of 2025, he said Sabah attracted foreign investment worth RM6.61 billion, while domestic investment reached RM4.79 billion.

Hajiji said the investor‑friendly policies practised by the Sabah government provided a solid foundation for attracting more foreign investment, such as from South Korea and China, which have opened a copper foil factory in the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park and a solar panel glass manufacturing and sand processing plant, among others.

“Sabah has received tens of billions in investment (from domestic and foreign sources), and those investments are now operational. When we have investor‑friendly policies, many domestic and foreign investors come to invest here,” he told BERNAMA in an exclusive interview.

The interview was conducted by news officers Rohana Nasrah and Diah Mohd Jaiz at the Chief Minister’s official residence in Sri Gaya here today.

Also present were Bernama News Desk executive editor Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa and Bernama Sabah bureau chief Fadzli Ramli.

Hajiji said Sabah had also recorded a recent investment from Singapore in the Oil and Gas Industrial Park in Sipitang, with the agreement signed and witnessed personally by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“This investor (from Singapore) is bringing RM31 billion in investment in three phases. Not only will it boost the economy, but it will also create many job opportunities.

“I understand that during implementation, they will require 7,000 to 8,000 workers, which will provide good opportunities for Sabah’s young people who need employment,” said the Chief Minister.

Hajiji said domestic investments from companies based in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah have also driven the state’s strong investment performance.

“The government’s encouragement of investors has been significant, and Sabah’s sound government policies make investors happy to come and invest in the state.

“The Sabah government provides facilities (to investors) such as land, sites and regulations to expedite procedures so they can implement and start their businesses,” he said.

Commenting on the state’s revenue, Hajiji said the Sabah government had also increased collections to RM7 billion, up from RM3 billion when he first took over the state administration.

“Reserves have now reached RM8 billion, compared with less than RM3 billion when I took over the Sabah administration,” he added.

-- BERNAMA