Kota Kinabalu: The Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) in Lahad Datu has created 1,729 job opportunities to date, with 85 per cent of them filled by locals, including youth from the area, said Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick.
Ewon, who is also Sabah’s Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister, said these job opportunities were created to operate downstream palm oil and biomass sectors. It involves 75 companies engaged in various activities such as oleochemicals, biodiesel, and biomass product manufacturing.
“In terms of job structure, the downstream palm oil and biomass industries at POIC Lahad Datu offer a wide range of employment opportunities covering different skill levels and expertise.
“This includes production and processing operators; technicians and machine maintenance personnel; operations and quality control supervisors; technical and engineering officers; as well as support roles in logistics, utilities, security, and administration,” he said in response to Datuk Dr Mohammad Yusof Apdal’s question at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting here on Wednesday.
Mohammad Yusof (Warisan–Silam) had asked how many youths from the Silam state constituency and the Lahad Datu parliamentary area have been absorbed into POIC Lahad Datu’s downstream palm oil and biomass industries. He also asked about their average income, job types and skills acquired.
Elaborating further, Ewon said the average salaries offered are competitive and align with the diversity of roles, depending on workers’ skill levels, qualifications, and experience.
Estimated monthly income for general workers and operators ranges from RM1,500 to RM2,600, technicians or supervisors from RM2,500 to RM4,000, while technical officers or professionals earn about RM4,000 and above, he said.
“This sector also offers career development pathways for local young people. Workers have opportunities to progress from operator level to supervisor and subsequently to technical or management levels through work experience and continuous training,” he said.
Ewon also said the state government, through POIC, will continue to strengthen strategic collaboration with training agencies and skills institutions to provide certified training programmes, upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
This commitment ensures the local workforce, especially among the young people, remains relevant, competitive, and capable of meeting the needs of a rapidly growing industry.
Ewon also said the state government currently has no specific proposal to establish a training centre at POIC Lahad Datu. Nevertheless, it is considering the possibility of collaborating with the federal government to implement such an initiative.
