Industrialization efforts in Sabah, Malaysia, are expected to create ample job opportunities, stated Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Jaujan Sambakong.

The Sabah government will work to attract industry players to set up factories and plants, creating opportunities for the local labor pool.

Speaking during a special workshop on Islamic leadership, Dr Jaujan Sambakong said, “We have rich natural resources which the State Government can tap into to develop the downstream sector. That is why the new Sabah Government is striving to attract players such as in the timber industry to set furniture factories and other downstream industries in the State.”

According to Sambakong, Sabah has ‘high quality and mature tree species, and woods that can be processed downstream.’ Which is why the government will meet with Swedish furniture giant, IKEA, to talk about a possible factory opening at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park.

He added that Tan Chong Motor, the sole distributor for Nissan cars, is also in the process of setting up a vehicle assembly plant in Sabah.

Jaujan added that more jobs are needed to employ thousands of students graduating from local higher learning institutions each year. As per him, recently, some 3,000 Sabahans graduated in various fields of study from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at its convocation. Hence the government’s impetus to attract players such as in the timber industry to set furniture factories and other downstream industries in the State in order to create employment opportunities.

It is to be noted that as per a recent report by Kenanga Investment Bank,  Malaysia’s GDP predictions are expected to slow down to 4.7%. The slow pace of GDP growth might have an impact on the employment opportunities available in the country. Hence it becomes imperative for the government to step up efforts to increase employment.