What is Sabah Development Corridor?

The Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) was launched on 29 January 2008 to enhance the quality of life of the people by accelerating the growth of Sabah’s economy, promoting regional balance and bridging the rural-urban divide while ensuring sustainable management of the state’s resources. It is part of the five economic corridors inspired by the former Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi. It is in line with the key thrusts and objectives of the Halatuju Pembangunan dan Kemajuan Negeri Sabah, launched in 2004 by YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman, Chief Minister of Sabah, which outlines the direction of the state’s development.

The theme for the SDC is Harnessing Unity in Diversity for Wealth Creation and Social Well-Being. The concept of the SDC is also in line with the theme of One Malaysia: People First, Performance Now announced by YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the current Prime Minister.

The SDC programmes are underpinned by the three key principles that will guide development in Sabah, namely the need to:

• Capture higher value economic activities
• Promote balanced economic growth with distribution
• Ensure sustainable growth via environmental conservation

The initiative by YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak to introduce a new high income service-based economic model driver by creativity, innovation and high value is clearly consistent with the principles underpinning the SDC programmes. Under the SDC initiative, sub-regions and growth centres will be planned systematically to ensure optimum resources utilisation and development efforts are well-coordinated.

The initial focus is on enhancing Sabah’s liveability index and making it a business friendly location via targeted infrastructure upgrading and by lowering the cost of doing business.

By 2025, the SDC initiative aims to triple Sabah’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and increase its GDP by four times through the implementation of the prioritised programmes. In total, more than 900,000 new jobs are expected to be generated during the SDC implementation period.

MAJOR PROGRAMMES OF SDC

• Development of Kinabalu Harbour Front and Gold Coast Enclave
• Consolidation of logistics and transportation infrastructure as well as reducing the cost of doing business
• Development of the Interior Food Valley: Commercial rice, fruits and livestock production
• Development of Agro-marine Belt: POIC Lahad Datu, Permanent Food Production Parks, seafood and aquaculture
• Development of Oil and Gas Industry Cluster
• Sandakan-Kinabatangan-Beluran Bio-Triangle:    
  Sandakan Education Hub, Sandakan POIC, Bandar Samudera Elopura and Wildlife Conservation
• Environmental rehabilitation and conservation:
  Ecodesign promotion, carbon footprint reduction (green technology) and biodiversity conservation
• Brunei Bay Development Zone:
  Multi-modal logistics and transportation, halal industry, Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct, sailing and sea sports 
• Agropolitan projects for the rural poor
• Participation in Trade Fairs and Investment Promotions
• Promoting new sources of growth via the application of pioneering technology in SDC, such as ICT, biotech and nanotechnology (e.g. creative talent development, bio informatics, Sabah Bio-Xchange Initiatives, incubator network and science-industry linkages)
• Establishing a One-Stop Service Centre for SDC and Business Desk for SMEs, start-ups and Bumiputera Commercial and Industrial Community (BCIC)

Sabah Economic Development and  Investment Authority (SEDIA) has been entrusted as the One-Stop Authority to drive SDC with the primary responsibility to plan, coordinate, promote and accelerate the development of the SDC.

Sources: myCorridor