KOTA KINABALU, March 11 — Sabah Oil & Gas Development Corporation (SOGDC) and SEDCO Mining Sdn Bhd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industrial development in Sabah, particularly in the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) and Sawit Kinabalu Sandakan Industrial Park (SKSIP).
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III and Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Ewon Benedick, said the strategic collaboration between the two government-linked companies under his ministry is expected to attract more industrial investments to the designated areas.
“I welcome strategic initiatives such as this between Sabah government-linked companies under the responsibility of the ministry,” he said when met by reporters after witnessing the MoU signing ceremony between SOGDC and SEDCO Mining at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu yesterday.
According to him, integrated cooperation among state agencies will facilitate better coordination in monitoring policies and regulations, while strengthening teamwork in line with the state’s development agenda.
Earlier in his speech, Ewon described the partnership as an important step in reinforcing the strategic relationship between two state entities that play significant roles in driving Sabah’s economic growth.
He said the Sabah government has consistently maintained that economic development in the state requires an integrated approach, where development agencies must work together to optimise resources and investment opportunities.
“When development agencies operate within the same ecosystem and share aligned development goals, the planning and implementation of projects can be carried out more efficiently, quickly and effectively,” he said.
The collaboration is also expected to open opportunities for more comprehensive development in SOGIP, one of Sabah’s key strategic industrial hubs.
Ewon said initiatives such as land reclamation could potentially expand the industrial development area within SOGIP to support the entry of more industrial investments in the future.
At the same time, he added that plans to deepen the shipping channel at SKSIP are expected to enhance the port’s capacity to receive larger vessels, further strengthening supply chains and positioning Sabah as a regional industrial and trade hub.
He noted that improvements in industrial, port and logistics infrastructure are expected to create more investment opportunities, stimulate economic growth and generate quality employment for the people of Sabah.
Also present at the event were Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Secretary Thomas Logijin, SOGDC Chairman Shahelmey Yahyah, SOGDC Chief Executive Officer Mohd Azmir Ramli, SEDCO Mining Chairman Alan Chua, Sawit Kinabalu Group Chairman Hazem Mubarak Tun Musa and SEDCO Mining CEO Shamsul Bahri Johari.
