PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has established a strategic collaboration with the Sabah Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport (Mindet) to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection among entrepreneurs and communities in the State.
KPDN Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the collaboration opens up broad opportunities to enhance awareness and development of intellectual property, particularly among entrepreneurs and local creators in Sabah.
“This meeting provides an opportunity for KPDN and Mindet to discuss several strategic cooperation agendas, especially in strengthening intellectual property protection, which is increasingly important in today’s economy.
“KPDN believes there is still significant potential to be explored jointly, including through collaboration with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) to develop various IP-related programmes in Sabah,” he said.
Armizan said this after receiving a courtesy visit from Mindet Minister who is also Sabah’s Deputy Chief Minister III, Ewon Benedick, here on Friday.
He said the collaboration will focus on implementing training programmes, capacity building, and engagement sessions involving civil servants and various stakeholders in Sabah.
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Armizan added that this step is important to ensure more entrepreneurs understand the importance of registering intellectual property to protect their creativity and innovation, while enhancing the competitiveness of local products.
At the same time, he praised Mindet’s significant role in supporting the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 agenda, particularly in driving various industrial and entrepreneurial development initiatives.
“Mindet’s commitment to advancing intellectual property development can add value to Sabah’s economic growth, while strengthening a more sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem,” he said.
Armizan also hoped to see traditional Sabah batik motifs more widely introduced as part of efforts to elevate local heritage to a higher level.
According to him, Sabah batik motifs hold great potential not only as a representation of the state’s cultural identity, but also as a high-value creative economy product that can serve as a catalyst for local creative economic development.
Meanwhile, Ewon said the collaboration will begin with the participation of Mindet officers and its agencies in specialised training programmes at the Intellectual Property Academy, followed by awareness programmes among entrepreneurs on the importance of IP protection.
He said the courses are crucial in enhancing officers’ understanding of the role of the MyIPO, enabling them to provide accurate guidance to entrepreneurs on IP registration and protection.
“Mindet will also study the proposal to establish a special unit related to intellectual property to better coordinate and implement initiatives in a more focused and effective manner,” he said.
Ewon emphasised that every entrepreneurial product development in Sabah—including in the industrial, innovation, food and beverage (F&B), and social enterprise sectors—must incorporate intellectual property registration as added value.
He added that this requires continuous exposure and training for officers and entrepreneurs, as well as strong support from all stakeholders.
At the same time, he expressed appreciation for MyIPO’s commitment to making the collaboration a success, noting that 3,941 intellectual property applications were received in Sabah from 2021 to March 2026, with 3,349 registrations recorded as of December 2025.
Earlier, Ewon also visited MyIPO and held discussions with its Director-General, Yusniza Syarmila Yusuff, regarding the implementation of specialised training programmes for Mindet officers and its agencies.
