KOTA KINABALU, Aug 14 (Bernama) — The Sabah government
is mulling over the setting up of a Halal Park in Sepanggar, near here,
to cater for the entire range of activities required for the production
of halal products within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East
Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the recent meeting of
BIMP-EAGA ministers in Brunei had proposed that a Halal Park be set up
in Sabah for that purpose.
“We will look into it. I think Sepanggar is one of the possible
sites for a Halal Park because of its strategic location and its
proximity to the newly-built Sepanggar Bay Container Port,” he told
reporters after opening the new headquarters of the Federation of Sabah
Manufacturers (FSM) at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park Friday.
The 14th BIMP-EAGA Ministers Meeting was held in Bandar Seri
Begawan on Aug 8 and chaired by Brunei Foreign Affairs and Trade Second
Minister Pehin Lim Jock Seng. Sabah was represented by Industrial
Development Minister Raymond Tan Shu Kiah.
Earlier in his speech, Musa called on FSM to collaborate with the
State Industrial Development Ministry to make the Halal Park a success.
He said FSM and the ministry could form a collaboration to
identify the right training courses to efficiently and effectively
manage the Halal Park.
Apart from that, he urged FSM to explore opportunities in research
and focus on training youths in specialised skills needed for the
manufacturing sector.
Musa said the state government was also seriously considering the
setting up of a sizeable convention centre to support meeting,
incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) activities including the
Sabah International Exposition (SIE) and the Borneo International Trade
Fair.
He said the state government would fully support activities that generate economic activities and enhance bilateral ties.
In this respect, he said, he was pleased that FSM had been playing
a positive role in promoting the manufacturing sector and “placing
Sabah on the map”.
“Together, FSM and the Malaysian International Chamber and
Industry (MICCI) have successfully organised five SIEs — a premier
trade fair that has attracted an increasing number of participation
over the years.
“I urge FSM and MICCI to continue with this endeavour to put Sabah on the manufacturing map,” he said.
Meanwhile, FSM president Datuk Wong Khen Thau said an FSM
Institute of Technology would be set up to complement the state
government’s efforts in human resource training and development.
“In the pipeline also is an initiative to train and groom small
and medium-scale industries to adopt the modern approach of
entrepreneurship in line with globalisation and to enhance their
potential to expand and compete in the international market,” he said.
Wong said FSM would work closely with the Industrial Development Ministry to develop and promote the Halal Park in the state.
— BERNAMA
