The Sabah government will focus on the development of downstream industries to create more jobs for the people.

Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said towards that end, the government would strive to industrialise the state by capitalising on existing resources.

“If we just export (for example) palm oil but there’s no downstream industry, we will not have factories to produce candles, factories to manufacture cooking oil on a large scale.

“Hence, it’s important for us to industrialise Sabah to create jobs for the children of Sabahans,” he said to reporters when met at the Hari Raya open house of Sabah law and native affairs minister Aidi Moktar in Papar, today.

Also present was Sabah governor Juhar Mahiruddin.

Mohd Shafie said efforts to develop the people’s economy should not be likened to the payment of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) under the previous government as there would be more benefits for working people who will derive income monthly.

Therefore, he said the state government should carefully plan the development for Sabah so that the people would enjoy the benefits.

Earlier in his speech, Mohd Shafie said the new state government led by Parti Warisan Sabah and Pakatan Harapan as well as Upko would not ignore the development in opposition areas and explained that residents in those areas were also Malaysian citizens who needed assistance.

- Bernama