KOTA KINABALU: Downstream activities are key for Sabah if the state wants to have substantial development, says Invest Sabah Berhad chief executive officer Dr Firdausi Suffian.
It is for this reason, Firdausi said, that it was pertinent the state grows and expands such activities, not only for rapid development but to increase its resources as well.
He said Sabah is already going in the right direction with the exportation of its resources like palm oil.
“This shows your investment is good but for the people of Sabah, when it comes to real development and to really feel structural change, it is imperative to focus on downstream activities,” he said.
Firdausi said this when speaking at the 2024 Merdeka Talk, entitled “Sabah Leadership: Not Just a Title, But a Lifestyle” held at a hotel here on Wednesday (Nov 6).
He explained that, as CEO of Invest Sabah, he was responsible for leading the government-linked company to attract investments to the state.
Firdausi said they aimed to bring in investments that exactly align with the vision to grow and strengthen downstream activities in the state.
Describing it as “challenging”, he said, he was nonetheless excited with the prospects.
Invest Sabah is a government-linked company that serves as a one-stop centre to facilitate investments and drive structural changes aligned with the state government’s Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan.
Firdausi said Invest Sabah was a fledgling company with a majority of young people, hence, it was vital to build trust with the staff he was working with as well as to communicate the company’s vision.
He said it was also important to include the younger generation in the decision-making process as well as drive the company.
“And the young can learn from the older generation who can impart them with wisdom and purpose,” he said.
