Kota kinabalu: A total of 6,951 young people across Sabah have received assistance under the Sabah Youth Entrepreneur Scheme (SYABAS), with an allocation of RM21 million since the initiative was introduced in 2022, the State Legislative Assembly was told today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sabah Youth, Sports Development and Creative Economy Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan mentioned that the recipients are involved in a wide range of businesses, including 64 young entrepreneurs in the Nabawan state constituency. "Through SYABAS, many young Sabahans have successfully built thriving businesses, with some even generating income in the millions. Their products have also made their way to international markets. Among the successful recipients I can name here are Amran Jining from Keningau, who runs a vegetable hydroponic farm; Erliana Said from Tawau, who operates a bakery business specialising in bread, cakes and pastries; and Sitti Fatimah Janna, who is in the cosmetics line," he said.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin (GRS-Nabawan) regarding the number of SYABAS recipients and youth-related programmes implemented in the area. Nizam said the ministry maintains a database of recipients and provides follow-up programmes in the form of coaching, monitoring and capacity building to ensure they can start or expand their businesses and generate sustainable income.
Strategic collaborations with government agencies, training institutions and the private sector have also been strengthened to broaden training and employment opportunities across sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry, construction, logistics, aquaculture, fisheries, digital and the creative economy.
Meanwhile, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal said Visit Sabah Year 2027 has been positioned as a strategic state government agenda, not only to boost tourist arrivals but also to drive inclusive economic growth across multiple sectors.
He said the ministry is developing a comprehensive approach with emphasis on building the tourism value chain, covering accommodation, transport, food and beverage, handicrafts and community-based tourism products. Replying to a question from Samuel Wong Tshun Chuen (Warisan-Luyang), he explained that this approach is crucial to ensure that the economic benefits of the campaign are distributed more widely, right down to the grassroots level.
Andi Md Shamsureezal further informed the sitting that engagement sessions with industry players are ongoing to fine-tune the programmes and activities lined up for the campaign. He said the Sabah Tourism Board will step up targeted promotion and marketing efforts, including helping to market local tour packages, expanding market access for small operators, and providing incentives and promotional support to industry players, particularly small and medium enterprises and local communities.
He added that the Visit Sabah Year 2027 campaign will be built on four core pillars of culture, adventure, nature and sustainability, with the campaign schedule expected to be released by the end of this year.