KOTA KINABALU: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has urged authorities to allow due process and avoid rushing to shut down Invest Sabah Bhd, amid public calls for the state investment arm to be dissolved.
LDP Infrastructure and Utilities Bureau (Beaufras) head Peggy Liow said any alleged wrongdoing should be thoroughly investigated, but warned that closing Invest Sabah outright would be premature and counterproductive.
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“Let the authorities investigate if there is any wrongdoing, but do not rush to close Invest Sabah; give it two years and allow the Chief Minister to closely monitor its performance before making any decision,” she said on Wednesday.
Liow was responding to Labuan activist Lau Seng Kiat’s call to close Invest Sabah immediately, citing claims that the agency had failed to generate returns despite a RM25 million allocation over five years and allegations ranging from misuse of funds to abuse of power.
She said Sabah urgently needs medium- and large-scale investments, particularly in infrastructure and utilities, arguing that development should be viewed holistically to include ports, electrified rail, tunnels, multi-storey car parks with EV charging and waste-to-energy plants.
Drawing a comparison with the Sabah Tourism Board, Liow said Invest Sabah should be cleaned up and strengthened rather than closed, as a dedicated body is needed to plan, market and coordinate investments into the state.
On Beaufras, she said the bureau is keen to collaborate with Invest Sabah under its new chairman Datuk Roger Chin to attract overseas investors, including Fortune 500 companies, adding that recent progress includes a RM765 million federal allocation announced by the Prime Minister under the 13th Malaysia Plan rolling programme for the Southern Link beginning in 2026.
