Kota kinabalu: 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 highlighted that these investments span manufacturing, services, and primary sectors, creating over 7,800 job opportunities in the state since 2022.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, this achievement underscores investors’ confidence in Sabah’s economic potential, particularly with the implementation of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), which aims to position the state as a hub for downstream manufacturing and renewable energy. MITI, in collaboration with the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (MIDE) and Invest Sabah Bhd (ISB), organised the KenalESG Awareness Programme on October 30, 2025, in Kota Kinabalu to enhance the capacity of Sabah’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Tengku Zafrul mentioned during the Prime Minister’s Engagement Session with the Sabah Industrial Association that the initiative would integrate MSMEs into the supply chains of larger corporations. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil were also present at the event.
The minister added that MITI has 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, which open new investment avenues for Sabah. MITI, through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), is promoting green investments with potential projects worth RM7.3 billion secured during the IGEM 2025 Conference in October.
Tengku Zafrul further explained that high-technology downstream development initiatives like the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Lahad Datu act as catalysts for local economic growth through palm biomass processing and downstream petrochemical activities. The value chain developed there encompasses the entire ecosystem, from collecting raw biomass materials and processing them into intermediate chemicals to producing end products such as bioplastics, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and cosmetics.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration, Tengku Zafrul stated that close cooperation between the federal and Sabah governments is crucial for the success of these policies, including speeding up investment approvals and enhancing investor facilitation. He assured that allocations under Budget 2026, such as the Strategic Co-Investment Fund (CoSIF) worth RM200 million and the NIMP Industrial Development Fund (NIDF) amounting to RM180 million, would be accessible to companies in Sabah.