KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's youth must be equipped to turn uncertainty into opportunities by developing the courage, resilience and creativity to create businesses and solutions in a rapidly changing economy, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said.
He said entrepreneurship had always been about seeing possibilities where others saw uncertainty, adding that this spirit was more important today as technology, artificial intelligence (AI), climate change and changing markets continued to reshape the business landscape.
"It requires the courage to begin, the resilience to persevere, the creativity to innovate and the determination to transform ideas into solutions that create value for others," he said.
His speech was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister II and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun at the Sabah International Business Luncheon Talk (SIBLT2026) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here today.
Hajiji said technology was disrupting traditional business models while AI was reshaping the way people worked.
"Climate change is influencing investment decisions, new markets are emerging, and traditional markets are becoming increasingly competitive.
"In such an environment, we cannot simply wait for opportunities to come to us. We must have the vision and initiative to create them," he said.
He said the state government was committed to creating an ecosystem that supported entrepreneurship, encouraged investment, facilitated business and enabled innovation and growth.
However, he stressed that the government could not build Sabah's future alone.
"The future is built when government, businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, academia and communities work together.
"This is why platforms such as SIBLT2026 are so important. They bring people together. They turn conversations into connections, connections into partnerships, and partnerships into opportunities," he said.
Hajiji said Sabah's ambition should go beyond attracting businesses to the state, but also focus on building Sabah-based companies capable of expanding into regional and global markets.
He said Sabah could become a gateway where ideas meet capital, entrepreneurs meet partners and local businesses connect with regional and global markets across Borneo, BIMP-EAGA and ASEAN.
He also paid tribute to SIBLT2026 keynote speaker Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah, founder and chairman of Sunway Group, whose entrepreneurial journey, he said, demonstrated the importance of vision, courage and perseverance.
Hajiji said the gathering, attended by nearly 750 business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers, provided an opportunity to turn ideas and connections into partnerships, investments and new ventures.
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