KOTA KINABALU: The State Government is committed to nurturing creativity, resilience and entrepreneurial ambition among the State’s youth and empowering them to become entrepreneurs, innovators and creators of new businesses, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
“At the same time, we want investors and business leaders from outside Sabah to view the State not merely as a market, but as a platform for creating new opportunities across Borneo, BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN and beyond.
“It is our aspiration for Sabah to become a gateway, a place where ideas meet capital, entrepreneurs meet partners, innovation meets opportunity, and local businesses connect with regional and global markets,” he said at the Sabah International Business Luncheon Talk (SIBLT2026) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Thursday.
His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister II/Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
He said the State Government has an important role to play in creating the right ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship, encourages investment, facilitates business and enables innovation and growth.
“However, government cannot build the future alone. The future is built when government, businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, academia and communities work together. This is why platforms such as SIBLT2026 are so important.
“They bring people together. They turn conversations into connections, connections into partnerships, and partnerships into opportunities. Ultimately, our ambition is not simply to attract more businesses to Sabah.
“It is to create and support more Sabah-based businesses that can grow into regional and global players. That is the entrepreneurial Sabah we envision. I am confident that today’s luncheon can mark the beginning of many new journeys, new ventures, new investments, new collaborations and new success stories,” he said.
Hajiji said entrepreneurship has always been about seeing possibility where others see uncertainty.
“It requires the courage to begin, the resilience to persevere, the creativity to innovate and the determination to transform ideas into solutions that create value for others.
“This entrepreneurial spirit is more important today than ever before. We are living in a period of rapid transformation. Technology is disrupting traditional business models, while artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we work.
“Climate change is influencing investment decisions, new markets are emerging, and traditional markets are becoming increasingly competitive. In such an environment, we cannot simply wait for opportunities to come to us. We must have the vision and initiative to create them. This is where Sabah possesses tremendous potential,” he said.
Hajiji also paid tribute to the SIBLT2026 keynote speaker, Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah, who is Founder and Chairman of the Sunway Group.
“It is especially fitting that our keynote speaker today is a man whose remarkable journey embodies the entrepreneurial spirit we seek to encourage. Tan Sri Jeffrey’s journey is a powerful reminder that great enterprises are not built overnight. They are built through vision, courage, perseverance and an unwavering belief in what is possible,” he said.
‘I believe this is the true purpose of today’s gathering. With close to 750 business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers in one room, we have an extraordinary concentration of ideas, experience and networks.
“Let us not allow these connections to end when the luncheon concludes. Let us use this platform to build partnerships, explore investments, exchange ideas and open doors for one another,” said the Chief Minister.-pr/BNN
