KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's east coast Semporna district is set to be a key catalyst for the state's economic transformation through the Blue Economy agenda, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said the district's extraordinary potential could generate large-scale economic spillover effects if managed strategically, benefiting not only the local community but also the entire state.
"In other words, Semporna's success is Sabah's success," he said at a dinner held in conjunction with his working visit to the Semporna district as part of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (EssZone) security inspection on Wednesday (May 6).
He said Semporna has already taken the lead in several important initiatives that could serve as benchmarks, particularly in the high-impact and sustainable marine tourism sector.
For example, he said Sipadan Island has successfully implemented a daily visitor quota system, which has now become a model for high-value and sustainable tourism management, ensuring a balance between environmental conservation and economic activities.
"At the Tun Sakaran Marine Park, we are witnessing harmonious synergy between tourism, biodiversity conservation and community participation.
"This is the foundation of the community-based tourism concept that we want to expand because it ensures that Semporna's natural wealth is returned to its people," he said.
Hajiji said the state government is now intensifying efforts to transform the marine aquaculture sector to create a shift from raw material production to a value-added economy.
He said among the government's main focuses are the expansion of integrated commercial-scale aquaculture zones, the introduction of more efficient and environmentally friendly modern sea cage technology, and strong support for seaweed entrepreneurs to increase productivity and ensure export-grade quality products.
"At the same time, we are also working to attract high-impact investments in the downstream seafood processing sector so that the economic value chain can be comprehensively controlled," he said.
Hajiji said to support the growth of the sector, the government is also formulating plans to upgrade critical supporting infrastructure in Semporna.
These include modernisation of jetty facilities and logistics networks, the development of a comprehensive cold chain system to ensure seafood quality, broader access to international export markets, as well as the provision of more organised, safe and world-class public tourism facilities, he added.
The chief minister also stressed that the major development agenda in Semporna would not become a reality without strong grassroots leadership and a high commitment to sustainability principles.
