KOTA KINABALU: There are 242 factories operating in the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) as of February this year.
This has created 7,963 jobs and brought it investments valued at RM1.680 billion.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam said these factories are involved in various industries, of which 17 are wood-based; 39 food-based and 65 in the warehousing sector.
The rest are iron-based, rubber, plastics, logistics, electronics and electrical and automotive, he said when replying to a query from Inanam state assemblyman Peto Galim during the question and answer session at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
Meanwhile, he said there were seven companies involved in utility provision operations, 21 in research and development, besides training institutions and schools.
This component has created 1,516 job opportunities with an investment value of RM1.42 billion, said Joachim who is also the state Industrial Development Minister.
The commercial sector provides employment opportunities to 523 people with an investment value of RM48 million, he said.
"My ministry is committed to working closely with the industry players to ensure the manufacturing sector remains a preferred investment destination and in turn this increases employment opportunities for locals," he said.
The commitment had resulted in an injection of foreign and domestic investments of RM4.47 billion and created 7,400 jobs in 2021, thus benefiting Sabah's economy in terms of foreign exchange and tax collection, he said.
For 2022, he said his ministry received a high-tech investment from China to open a solar panel glass manufacturing plant in KKIP.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) on land lease was signed on March 17 and construction of the plant is expected to begin in the middle of this year on a 52-hectare plot of land.
"The value of this investment is RM2 billion and will provide 1,700 job opportunities," he said.
With foreign investors investing in Sabah, he said local contractors will be given the opportunity to become suppliers of raw materials and labour workforce.
"This measure can help address the poverty issue in Sabah as more employment opportunities are provided for locals," he said.