KOTA KINABALU: Sabah plans to transform the northern district of Kudat into a regional Blue Economy hub, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji announced that the state, via the Sabah Economic Development Corporation, is preparing a master plan under the 13th Malaysia Plan for a 488-hectare Blue Economy Industrial Park (BEIP) in Kampung Limau-Limauan and Perapat Laut.
"Kudat's strategic location provides an advantage in expanding trade links with markets in China, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines," he said when officiating the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat Programme, Jom Malaysia Carnival, Jualan Rahmah Madani and Mobile Community Services (MCS) for the Tanjong Kapor constituency at Dataran Tomborungus in Kudat on Sunday (Oct 18).
An additional 1,266 hectares across Matunggong, Pulau Banggi, and Tanjong Kapor have been reserved for future expansion.
Hajiji noted that the project relies on joint state-federal backing, environmental protection, and infrastructure development.
He welcomed the RM18.7bil federal allocation for Sabah in Budget 2027 (up from RM17.6bil this year), highlighting that RM3.3bil for Sabah–Sarawak road projects and RM350mil for federal road maintenance will address long-standing basic infrastructure and utility needs.
Hajiji said the state's revenue collections consistently hovered near RM7bil annually over recent years (compared to about RM4bil in 2019).
"I am optimistic that Sabah's revenue for 2026 can surpass the RM7 billion mark," he said.
