KOTA KINABALU: From housing and healthcare to job creation and student aid, Sabah’s Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 1.0 plan has delivered significant results, with 94% of its initiatives now implemented, according to the state government.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan reported that 366 out of 467 initiatives under the Sabah Maju Jaya development plan—launched in 2021—had been fully completed as of May this year.
"The Sabah Maju Jaya development plan has progressed successfully, and we are seeing real, measurable outcomes. From economic growth to human capital and people’s wellbeing, this reflects the government’s commitment to delivering what was promised," he said.
Responding to a question from Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohd Yassin (GRS -Nabawan) during the Sabah State Assembly sitting on Tuesday (July 8), Nizam detailed the plan’s achievements.
In economic performance, the state’s gross domestic product rose from RM77.8bil in 2020 to RM84.3bil in 2024, while trade surpassed RM100bil for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, with a peak of RM118bil in 2022.
The agriculture sector saw expanded paddy plantations, the introduction of a crop takaful scheme, and the launch of nanas MD2 projects, with the first 18-tonne container exported to Singapore. Rubber cultivation now spans over 241,000 hectares, while livestock numbers increased from 6.8 million in 2021 to over 9.3 million in 2023.
Six agri-collection centres were established in Kundasang, Kota Marudu, Beaufort, Telupid, Keningau, and Lahad Datu. Freshwater fish production and aquaculture initiatives, including hybrid grouper fry tanks, saw measurable increases.
In the industrial sector, Sabah secured 420 approved investment projects worth RM35.38 billion from 2021 to 2024. Domestic investments led with RM20.61bil, compared to RM14.77bil in foreign investments. Plans include developing three new industrial parks in Kudat, Kota Belud/Kota Marudu, and Beaufort/Kimanis.
Tourism rebounded with 7.85 million visitors and RM16.84bil in spending from 2021 to 2024. From January to May this year, the state welcomed over 1.43 million tourists, including 559,150 international arrivals.
Major hotel developments are underway, including Club Med Borneo in Kuala Penyu, InterContinental Hotel in Papar, Sheraton Kota Kinabalu, and Hilton Garden Inn in Tuaran. Hyatt Centric and Citadines Waterfront have opened in the state capital.
In education, RM1.33bil was invested from 2021 to 2024, with RM485mil focused on human capital programmes. Fourteen new initiatives benefited over 210,000 students. The Sabah TVET Council was formed to coordinate over 160 technical and vocational training institutions.
For social wellbeing, RM1.49bil was spent from 2021 to 2024 on programmes like Rumah Mesra SMJ, the SYUKUR aid scheme, and medical equipment upgrades, including 100 new dialysis machines.
Infrastructure developments included 982km of road expansion, raising the total road length to 22,858km. Water treatment capacity increased from 1,505 million litres daily in 2021 to 1,630 million litres in 2024, with several key upgrades expected by 2026.
Non-revenue water loss decreased from 60% to 52%, and electricity reliability improved, with SAIDI dropping to 207 minutes in 2024. Eleven electricity generation projects totaling 1,219MW are in progress, expected to complete between 2025 and 2031.
Sabah is on track to gazette 2.2 million hectares of Totally Protected Areas under the Heart of Borneo initiative, with two million hectares already gazetted. Marine Protected Areas now cover over one million hectares.
State revenue collected RM26.2bil from 2021 to 2024, with annual income rising from RM3.59bil in 2020 to RM6.84bil in 2024. The Commercial Collaboration Agreement with Petronas significantly contributed through enhanced state participation and revenue rights.
A detailed annual report on the Sabah Maju Jaya 1.0 development plan was distributed to assembly members after the session.
