Kota Kinabalu (Dec 30) - Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is also the Tamparuli assemblyman, has been appointed as the new chairman of Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Sabah, with former Sabah Customs director Datuk Jonathan Kandok named as deputy chairman.
Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ewon Benedick, who also serves as the State Minister of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport, announced that nominated assemblyman Datuk Roger Chin has been appointed chairman of Invest Sabah Bhd.
Datuk Roger Chin
Ewon said the appointments are strategic in strengthening the leadership of state-linked agencies, particularly in attracting high-quality investments and improving Sabah’s overall competitiveness.
He noted that entrusting experienced leaders to these roles reflects the state government’s determination to ensure that Sabah’s investment, industrial and logistics sectors are managed effectively, inclusively and with meaningful economic impact.
“These appointments are consistent with the ‘Sabah First’ principle, where the welfare of the people and the growth of Sabah’s economy remain the top priority,” he said in a statement after handing over the appointment letters to the three appointees in Kota Kinabalu on Monday.
Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau
Also present at the ceremony were the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Datuk Thomas Logijin, POIC Sabah chief executive officer Datuk Gredian Gan, and Invest Sabah chief executive officer Dr Firdausi Suffian.
Established in 2005, POIC Sabah oversees an industrial and logistics hub in Lahad Datu, focusing on downstream palm oil processing while generating employment and drawing investments in related sectors such as ports, biomass and biorefineries. Invest Sabah, formed in 2020, is tasked with attracting strategic investments to support Sabah’s economic transformation through a dynamic domestic ecosystem, with an emphasis on sustainability and digital innovation.
For Sabahans, these leadership changes are expected to translate into stronger investment flows, more job opportunities and long-term economic growth, particularly in industrial areas such as Lahad Datu, while reinforcing the state’s commitment to placing local interests at the centre of development planning.