KOTA KINABALU: The state-owned POIC (Palm Oil Industrial Cluster) is eager to support Sabah’s aspirations for the Blue Economy initiative by establishing a maritime academy.
The company has been planning the academy, which would be built at POIC Lahad Datu on the state’s east coast, to produce trained workers for the maritime industry.
It is working on the plan with the Sealestial Marine Seafarer Training Centre, University College Sabah Foundation and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Business Council.
“Blue Economy is directing Sabah to look to maritime-related sectors that will diversify our economy, open new doors to investments and generate spin-offs that catalyse growth in other sectors of our economy,” said POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 22).
“We envisioned our academy, the BIMP-EAGA Maritime Academy (Bema), to enhance our positioning as a logistics hub, produce trained workers to support the growth of the maritime industry growth in this region, and offer job training and advancement opportunities for Sabahans,” he added.
POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd is currently developing the POIC Lahad Datu industrial park and running POIC Lahad Datu Port.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched the Sabah International Blue Economy Conference (Sibec) here on Saturday (Oct 19).
The Blue Economy is the sustainable development of sea, coast, and river resources, as well as shipping, logistics and ports and harbours.
Sabah is the first state in the country to declare an intent to pursue the Blue economy.
