Kota Kinabalu: The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Sabah called on the State Government to make industrial land at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) available for local small and medium industries (SMIs), while also addressing operational issues at Sabah Ports.
The appeal was made during a courtesy call on State Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.
FMM Sabah re-submitted a list of nine companies seeking to purchase between one and 15 acres for expansion.
Some of these businesses currently operate outside designated industrial areas and are ineligible for government incentives, increasing operational costs and reducing competitiveness.
While land for sale at KKIP has been fully taken, around 200 acres remain available for lease.
Sabah FMM Chairman Liaw Hen Kong urged the Government to consider selling the land to ready buyers or introducing a reasonable special package.
He said improving access to land would support SMI growth, create jobs for local youths and help curb workforce migration to West Malaysia and Singapore.
Liaw also called for greater industry representation on state agencies and government-linked company boards to ensure transparency and that policies reflect the needs of all stakeholders.
FMM Sabah highlighted its own role at the federal level, sitting on boards such as Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to provide industry input on policy.
On port operations, FMM Sabah raised concerns over the breakdown of two mobile cranes (SPSB 2 and SPSB 7) at Sandakan Karamunting Port on Dec 29, 2025.
With temporary reliance on ships’ cranes, some cargo was diverted to Bintulu, delaying containers expected to arrive only by Jan 18.
Liaw urged port management to replace aging equipment and invest in reliable infrastructure to prevent recurring.
