KOTA KINABALU: Kudat is poised to become a major regional economic hub with the proposed Blue Economy Industrial Park (BEIP) under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) chairman Datuk Masiung Banah said the large-scale project would focus on maritime development and green technology, making it the first initiative of its kind in Malaysia.
“The project will concentrate on seafood-related industries and trade logistics serving the wider Southeast Asian region,” he said after chairing a meeting and engagement session on the proposed technologies for the project at the Kudat district office on Thursday (July 16).
Masiung, who is also Kuamut assemblyman, said Sedco had been tasked with spearheading the development in collaboration with relevant state and federal ministries, departments and private-sector stakeholders.
As an initial step, he said appointed consultants had been instructed to prepare a master plan and begin land and site surveying work on 1,205 acres of Sedco-owned land in Kampung Limau-Limauan and Perapat Laut.
Another 3,129 acres involving forest reserves and mangrove areas in Matunggong, Banggi and Tanjung Kapor have also been earmarked for the proposed economic development.
Kudat, at the northern tip of Sabah, occupies a strategic position overlooking key shipping routes in the region.
Masiung said Kudat’s strategic location offered significant potential due to its proximity to China, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines.
“The project will also support the maritime activities of local communities, including efforts to improve the deep-sea fishing industry and upgrade bagang fishing platforms along coastal areas,” he said.
The proposed industrial region is also expected to accommodate various high-value maritime ventures while incorporating environmentally friendly development and marine sustainability.
Plans also include the proposed construction of a port that could serve as a regional trade zone.
Also present were Banggi assemblyman Datuk Mohammad Mohmarin, Sedco general manager Ar Datuk Jemas Wong, Kudat district officer Charles William Dabbi, representatives from state and federal departments, and local residents affected by the proposed development.
