KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said Sabah's  record revenue of RM7 billion last year has made it among the top six states contributing  to Malaysia's 2023 Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

He said figures released by the Statistics Department of Malaysia (DOSM) in July  showed that Sabah contributed 5.5 per cent to the nation's GDP last year. 

"Together with Selangor, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sarawak and  Penang, we contributed 73 per cent to the national economy.  

"Just last year, we received RM11.34 billion in investments, the seventh-highest in  Malaysia, with 13.3 per cent garnered from the manufacturing sector," he said at the  Eighth World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress (ESTCON) at the Sabah  International Convention Centre (SICC) here today. 

Organised by Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and PETRONAS, Sabah is hosting  ESTCON for the first time with over 1,000 participants from twenty five countries.  

Meanwhile, Hajiji said Sabah must have quality tertiary education institutions to provide  excellent Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related  qualifications for Sabah students as the State Government has set a target of at least  40 per cent of its school students enrolled in science stream by next year. 

He said that for the younger generation to take the lead in the State's progress in the  future, it will require the collective efforts of not just the State Government but also all  stakeholders to continue supporting and helping youths in every aspect of their  development.  

"The state government knows it is important that quality tertiary education is available  for our young. More so in this day and age, where science and technology are the main  driving forces of progress, it is important that a substantial part of the student population  in Sabah are into STEM education.  

"The state Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry has put in place the 2022-2025  Strategic Plan as a guide to implement various programmes and initiatives to empower  the science, technology, innovation and economy (STIE) ecosystem in Sabah," he said 

The Chief Minister said that on the digitalisation initiatives, Sabah is pursuing its vision  of a thriving digital economy, pushing to accelerate digital transformation initiatives in  Sabah.  

"In November of last year, we signed an agreement with Huawei Technologies Malaysia  at the Huawei Headquarters in Shenzhen, China, aimed at empowering our state and  its citizens to reap the benefits of technological innovation, fostering economic growth  and improved public services.  

"This will be in agriculture, smart manufacturing under Industry 4.0, tourism, smart city  planning, e-commerce, digital infrastructure, inclusive connectivity and digital  government. This collaborative effort would include the implementation of digital services  that are AI-ready and data-centric for government, businesses and the community," he  said. 

Hajiji said that, under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya initiative, the State Government  rolled out the Digital Internet of Things (IoT) Sandbox in 2022 as part of the development  roadmap.  

"It provided a safe environment for digital entrepreneurs and innovators to create their  products and test their feasibility. We see the transformative power of digital technology  in sectors like agriculture, mining, and tourism," he said. 

Hajiji also said Sabah is investing heavily in the energy sector, which has encompassed  traditional sources like fossil fuels and emerging renewable options like solar and wind  energy.  

"By investing in the energy sector, we will ensure a reliable power supply while also  contributing to a more sustainable energy future. While oil and gas will provide an  important revenue stream for the state, the focus will be on renewables such as solar  and storage technologies, hydro, geothermal, and carbon market opportunities in  Sabah," he said. 

The Chief Minister assured that Sabah will continue to develop essential energy  infrastructure, managing resources to sustain growth.  

"The Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 (Sabah Energy RAMP 2040),  which I launched last year, will strategically guide our future. But its success will require  the full support of both public and private stakeholders to steer Sabah towards a greener,  more sustainable future," he said.  

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