Sabah wants to position itself as a regional business gateway, giving investors and local companies a platform to tap opportunities across Borneo, BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN and global markets, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said the state government wanted businesses from outside Sabah to look beyond the state as simply a market and instead see it as a base for building partnerships and accessing wider regional opportunities.
“The Sabah government wants investors and business leaders from outside Sabah to view the state not just as a market, but as a platform for creating new opportunities across Borneo, BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN and beyond.
“It is our aspiration that Sabah becomes a gateway, where ideas meet capital, entrepreneurs meet partners, innovations meet opportunities and local businesses connect with regional and global markets,” he said.
Hajiji was speaking at the Sabah International Business Luncheon Talk (SIBLT2026) at the Sabah International Convention Centre today. His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Masidi Manjung, who is also state Finance Minister.
He said the state government had an important role in building an environment that supports entrepreneurship, investment, business activity and innovation, but the task could not be carried by the government alone.
Hajiji said businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, academics and the wider community all had a role in shaping Sabah’s economic future.
He also highlighted the need to encourage more young Sabahans to pursue entrepreneurship and develop into entrepreneurs, innovators and creators of new businesses.
The chief minister said entrepreneurship was becoming increasingly important as technology, artificial intelligence and climate change continued to reshape the global economy.
“Climate change is influencing investment decisions, new markets are emerging and traditional markets are becoming increasingly competitive. In such an environment, we cannot just wait for opportunities to come to us. We must have the vision and initiative to create them. This is where Sabah has immense potential,” he said.
