Sabah eyes more development plan for Lahad Datu via POIC

 By Olivia Miwil - December 16, 2020 @ 11:05am

Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee (right) with POIC Sabah CEO Gwendolen Vu and her Deputy Lynette Hoo at Sabah office. - Picture courtesy of POIC

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah state government will explore a comprehensive development plan anchoring on state-owned The Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC).

Its newly-minted chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said the time has come for POIC to explore other perspectives to grow after being in operation for the past 15 years.

In 2005, POIC was established by the state government mainly to spearhead the development of palm oil-based downstream activities.

Yong said he is now aiming to have an integrated international airport with a ferry terminal, a maritime academy, building towards being 5G-enabled, a gas-powered plant, food safety and certification facility, among others.

"The plan we are looking at will synergise the company's desire to develop oil palm downstream and other industries, promote manufacturing to generate outward cargo and developing POIC Lahad Datu as the logistics hub of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

"It will elevate Sabah as the heart of BIMP-EAGA and enhance development and inter-territorial economic opportunities especially with Indonesia's planned new national capital in East Kalimantan, our Southern neighbour," said Yong in a statement after his maiden visit to the POIC, here, recently.

Present were POIC chief executive officer Gwendolen Vu and her deputy, Lynette Hoo.

The former chief minister added that those outlined major projects would be developed via privately-funded initiative and from the federal government, as well as other initiatives such as the BIMP-EAGA China Fund and the Malaysia-China Business Council (MCBC).

As for the proposed international airport and ferry terminal, Yong said it is to elevate the envisaged 'hub' status of Lahad Datu where foreign investors, tourists and citizens of BIMP-EAGA member countries can enjoy hassle-free cross-border connectivity.

Yong revealed that a halted water intake and treatment plant near Lahad Datu is also being revived, while authorities are revisiting a shelved project to pipe natural gas from Kimanis on the west coast to generate electricity in Lahad Datu.

He added that Sabah, as a maritime state, should have an academy and promote careers such as seamanship and training in disciplines related to international shipping.