PETALING JAYA: Newly appointed Invest Sabah Bhd chairman Roger Chin has vowed to make changes in the way it is run, saying it will no longer be “business as usual” in the state government-linked company.
Chin, an appointed Sabah assemblyman, said Invest Sabah played a key role in Sabah’s economic future, and that he accepted the GLC post as that role has not been carried out with the seriousness required.
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“From this point forward, inaction will not be tolerated. Chronic delay dressed up as ‘process’ will not be tolerated. The misuse of privileges and the casual acceptance of wasteful expenditure will not be tolerated.
“This standard cuts both ways. Where officers act in good faith, exercise sound judgment, and take reasonable decisions in pursuit of Invest Sabah’s mandate, they will be supported. Decisiveness, when exercised responsibly, will not be punished.
“This is not my money, and it is not your money or your father’s money that we are spending. It is the people’s money. Because of that, we are accountable for every ringgit, every sen, and every decision that commits public funds,” he said in an internal address to the GLC.
Chin, the former president of the Sabah Law Society, said every member of Invest Sabah must have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and “earn their place” in the organisation.
He pledged to fully support those who do their job excellently and in a committed manner, and proper direction for those with potential.
“However, where individuals consistently fail to perform, or resist the standards required, it is neither kind nor honest to pretend that this organisation can carry them indefinitely.
“Those who cannot meet the bar should consider, seriously and early, whether it is right for them to remain. Earning your place does not mean perfection. It means professionalism, effort, judgment, and ownership.
“Mistakes will occur. Repeated avoidance of responsibility will not,” he said.
Chin said Invest Sabah’s purpose of existence was to woo foreign investors, facilitate their entry and expansion, as well as to give feedback for the formation of economic policies.
“When ISB is doing its job properly, investors find Sabah more decisive than expected, problems are solved rather than explained away, and outcomes replace announcements,” he said.
He also said Invest Sabah’s success will no longer be measured by the number of memoranda signed, press statements issued or investment figures announced.
“We will be judged by transactions that close, investors who stay and expand, the time it takes to resolve real problems, and the depth and credibility of our investment pipeline.
“Investment missions will proceed only where there is a clear strategy, named targets, and a live pipeline. Activities that cannot be traced to outcomes will be reviewed, and where necessary, discontinued,” he said.
Chin said this reset of the Sabah GLC was not driven by anger or a desire to blame others, but the urgency to woo investors given the competition the state faces.
“Investors have alternatives, and they do not wait for organisations that cannot decide or deliver. If we are not serious, capital will go elsewhere, quietly and permanently.”
