Courtesy visit by SEDIA to the Minister of Education and Innovation

Kota Kinabalu (Friday) – The Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (SEDIA) this morning paid a courtesy visit to Minister of Education and Innovation Datuk Dr. Yusof Yacob, with the delegation led by Chief Executive Datuk Dr. Mohd Yaakub Hj Johari. The objective of the visit was to discuss collaboration towards the development of human capital, including the creative industry in Sabah, especially during the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and in line with the vision and agenda of the State and Federal Governments towards achieving Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.

Datuk Dr. Mohd Yaakub also expressed SEDIA’s interest to support the State Government’s plans to set up a new education hub in Papar. Among SDC-led projects is the Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct (SAIP) located in Kimanis, while in Kota Kinabalu the Sabah Animation and Creative Content Centre (SAC3) had been developed through SDC to boost the creative industry. The representatives from MDEC meanwhile informed Datuk Dr. Yusof that MDEC is planning to have its creative content festival programme held in Sabah this year. During the discussion, the minister said that these initiatives will see to the development of the creative industry ecosystem, and be able to further bridge any gaps between education providers and industry players.

In developing a creative industry in Sabah, SAC3 was established through SDC as an incubator facility, and has trained many school leavers in animation. It has also established collaboration with the University of Salford at Manchester, which is located within the world-renowned Media City@UK, to develop expertise in the animation and creative content industry. With funding through SDC, the centre upgraded ICT equipment, and the ability to accommodate 200 students. SAC3 is a significant project that contributes to the development of Sabah’s human capital, and has already offered programmes in the creative industry to many young Sabahans as well as produced local content and entrepreneurs. One of SAC3’s creations, the popular Sabah-based “Ondu” series, airs on RTM.

SEDIA’s recent initiatives in the development of human capital in Sabah include the development of IR4.0. during the SEDIA open day on November 26-28, 2019 at SAIP, whereby SEDIA had collaborated with STEMSEL Foundation Inc from South Australia to organise a robotics workshop for youth to learn about applying Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to fourth industrial revolution (IR 4.0) applications. Participation came from several schools as well as tertiary education institutions, with teams representing SMK Bongawan, SMK Membakut, SMK Pengalat, SMK St. Michael, SMK Takis, SAC3, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Kolej Teknikal Yayasan Sabah (KTYS), and University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF).

SEDIA was established on January 15, 2009, through the adoption of Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority Enactment 2009. Through the enactment, SEDIA is vested with the necessary power to serve as the One-Stop Authority to plan, coordinate, promote and accelerate the development of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC). SDC was launched earlier on January 29, 2008 during the Ninth Malaysia Plan as one of Malaysia’s five regional economic corridors, with the aim to accelerate the growth of Sabah’s economy, promote regional balance and bridge the urban-rural divide, while ensuring sustainable management of state resources. In recent years, SEDIA has adopted a more focused and targeted approach in attracting quality investments in new growth areas, especially in service-based, innovation-led and knowledge-intensive industries including in Industry 4.0.