Ewon proposes corporate appointments to GLC boards

PENAMPANG (Dec 22): Deputy Chief Minister III and Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Datuk Ewon Bennedict, has proposed to the Chief Minister that corporate representatives be appointed to the boards of relevant agencies and government-linked companies (GLCs) to ensure more professional governance that is driven by industry needs rather than political interests.

“I believe this approach will bring significant benefits to Sabah, making the state a more attractive destination for investment, business and entrepreneurship, while increasing business owners’ incomes and creating more job opportunities for the people,” he said at the thanksgiving ceremony and contribution presentation to Penampang Chinese community associations here on Sunday.

The event was organised by the Penampang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCCI).

Ewon added that he would continue to work closely with PCCCI and entrepreneurship-, business- and industry-based organisations to ensure Sabah’s economic development agenda is successfully realised.

At the event, Ewon who is the Penampang Member of Parliament, presented a total of RM155,000 in contributions to 25 Chinese community associations in the parliamentary constituency, reaffirming his continued commitment to supporting community development and local industry players.

He said the initiative stemmed from discussions with the Penampang Chinese Kapitans, who had earlier organised Chinese New Year celebrations and the Penampang Parliamentary Lantern Festival.

“As the Member of Parliament for Penampang, I have channelled a total allocation of RM155,000 to 25 Chinese community associations in the constituency. Six associations received RM10,000 each, while the remaining 19 associations received RM5,000 each,” he said.

“I am confident that through close cooperation with associations and industry players, we can further advance economic growth, industrial development, business and entrepreneurship in Sabah,” he said.

Ewon also shared the policies, vision and key focus areas of his ministry, including the implementation of the Sabah First Policy, which emphasises efforts to uplift Sabahans by providing better income opportunities through employment and business ownership.

“When I took over this ministry, I made it clear that I would implement the Sabah First policy at the ministerial level,” he said.

“The Sabah First Policy means that while we continue to support the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan and other development agendas, I also want to see more Sabahans empowered to earn sustainable incomes, either as business owners or as employees working with business owners.”

To realise this vision, he said there must be a clear focus on building a stronger industrial ecosystem, a more robust entrepreneurship ecosystem and a better overall business environment.

Ewon said this was also crucial in reducing poverty levels in Sabah, noting that eight out of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia are located in the state.

“As such, developing Sabahans so that they have sustainable incomes is the foundation of my leadership at the ministry,” he said.

“With logistics and transport-related agencies placed under my ministry, it will be easier for us to build a more effective ecosystem.

“We need to strengthen our industrial, entrepreneurial and business ecosystems, including resolving logistics issues, port congestion, shortages in industrial parks and enhancing the capacity of Sabah’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” he said.

He stressed that the standards and quality of products and services offered by Sabah’s industry players must continue to be improved to enable them to compete not only at the national level, but also to meet international market requirements.

At the same time, Ewon said services provided by the ministry, its agencies and GLCs must be more efficient and responsive to industry needs.