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KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA: Sabah will be transformed into a bustling and advanced state with investments in biodiesel, agroculture, agrotourism, shopping, health and medical tourism, and transportation following the launch of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC).
Just minutes after its launch, the SDC received a major boost with the signing of 13 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth RM16bil (S$7bil).
One of the agreements was between the state Infrastructure Development Ministry and SP Setia Bhd for the redevelopment of the 20ha Sabah Railway terminal in Tanjung Aru near here based on the KL Sentral model utilising RM600mil under the Private Finance Initiative concept. The others included:
- THE development and promotion of Sabah as a meeting, incentive and exhibition (MICE) destination by Yayasan Sabah, Carlota's Borneo Holidays Sdn Bhd and East West Executive Travellers Ltd of Singapore;
- THE setting up of a bulking facility at the Palm Oil Industry Cluster (POIC) in Lahad Datu by POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd, PMB and POIC Bulking Sdn Bhd;
- Construction of the Kota Kinabalu City Waterfront Development project by the Kota Kinabalu City Hall, Waterfront Urban Development Sdn Bhd, Intonasi Sdn Bhd and Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Bhd; and
- The provision of fish-landing facilities in Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu by Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd, Felda and WTC Marine Ventures Sdn Bhd.
The eight MoUs inked yesterday were for:
- The establishment of a health and medical tourism centre by Borneo Eco Healing Centre and US-based Ariana Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Centre;
- The construction of condominium complexes and five-star hotels by Suria Capital Holdings Bhd, IJM Bhd, Pavilion International and Glomac Bhd;
- The development of tourism centres, townships and an SME Park by the Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) and Longyuan Construction Group Co of China;
- A project in the POIC by Sawit Kinabalu and Sime Darby Sdn Bhd;
- The production of crude Jatropha biodiesel fuel by Sabah Land Development Board, Nihon Biotec Inc of Japan, Kelana Stabil (M) Sdn Bhd, Jadora LLC and TKM Resources Sdn Bhd;
- An agrotourism project as well as an orang-utan rehabilitation project at Ulu Segama in Lahad Datu by the Sabah Forestry Department and Sime Darby Plantations Sdn Bhd;
- The development of aquaculture at Darvel Bay in Lahad Datu by the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and Dubai-based Semakan Group; and
- A proposed Jatropha curcas research and development and seeds production centre by the Sabah Land Development Board and Borneo Alam Ria Biomatrix (Sabah) Sdn Bhd.
The signing of the five agreements and eight MoUs in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was seen as a coup for Sabah to kick-start the 18-year corridor development initiative, the latest in the country.
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