Article: Sabah keen on Halal Park

Monday August 17, 2009

KOTA KINABALU: Entrepreneurs may soon have another avenue to invest in Sabah should a proposed Halal Park near the city become a reality.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said that the Sabah government was looking at establishing the Halal Park to be sited near the Sepanggar Bay port.

"The proximity to the port will enable easier exports of products from the Halal Park, especially to nearby countries making up the East Asean Growth Area," he said when opening the Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) office building at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, near here, recently.

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.

Musa said FSM should look into opportunities in research and focus on training youths in specialised skills needed for the manufacturing sector.

Earlier, FSM president Datuk Wong Khen Thau said the federation would be setting up an Institute of Technology 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 entreprises 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.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 17 August 2009