KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Sabah recorded RM95.9 million in potential international sales last year as 124 small and medium enterprises participated in 18 trade expos abroad.
“The figure marks a 37.12 per cent jump from the RM60.4 million recorded the previous year,” he said at the Buy Malaysian Goods Inspiration Programme held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Saturday.
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“This performance proves that Sabah-made products possess the quality and strong potential to compete in the global market,” he said.
The State Government plans to sustain the momentum in 2026 by joining major trade expos in Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and France, Hajiji said, describing the overseas push as a way to open new market channels while raising the profile of locally made goods internationally.
He said the Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport has supported 5,879 local entrepreneurs through various programmes as of 2025, including assistance with machinery and business equipment, aimed at improving productivity and operational capacity.
Despite the gains, Hajiji acknowledged that many Sabah entrepreneurs remain small-scale and have yet to fully tap available opportunities.
“There are products that are very good, but have not been marketed aggressively.
“Some are high quality but still weak in branding and packaging.
“There are also those with great potential, but who are not yet bold enough to venture beyond the local market,” he said, urging entrepreneurs to invest in consistent product quality and internationally compliant packaging.
Hajiji also pointed to Sabah’s tourism sector as an under-utilised avenue for local products, noting that the State recorded 10.67 million tourist arrivals and RM23.42 billion in tourism expenditure between 2021 and 2025. He called on entrepreneurs to use the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 campaign to reach visitors.
On the national front, the Buy Malaysian Goods Campaign (KBBM) posted sales of RM7.4 billion in 2024, up from RM6.5 billion in 2023 and RM2.7 billion in 2022.
Malaysia’s retail and wholesale trade sector also grew, with sales reaching RM1.87 trillion in 2025 compared with RM1.766 trillion the year before.
Hajiji said the figures reflected growing consumer confidence and urged Sabah entrepreneurs to use platforms such as KBBM not only to sell, but to build networks and forge partnerships with counterparts in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
“If we want to go further, we must dare to change, dare to learn and dare to explore new opportunities,” he said.
Present were Domestic Trade and Living Costs Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, among others.
