KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to strengthen its position in the electric vehicle (EV) industry with the establishment of its first assembly plant at the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) Sandakan.
Maxland Auto Sdn Bhd, which secured its federal manufacturing licence from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) last year, plans to invest RM100mil in the project by 2028.
The project is expected to generate up to 500 jobs by its third phase, which includes a manufacturing plant.
“This milestone aligns with the state government’s vision for industrial diversification and sustainable economic growth,” state Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe said during a recent site visit.
His ministry and other agencies have pledged their support for this and other similar investments.
“The government is committed to fostering industrial growth and ensuring Sabah becomes a key player in the green technology sector,” Phoong said, stressing the importance of clean energy transportation in driving economic progress.
Accompanying the minister on the visit were ministry permanent secretary Datuk Thomas Logijin, Sandakan Municipal Council president Walter Joseph Kinson, Industrial Development and Research Department director Rodolfo Blantocas, Sabah Mida director Joseph Benjamin, and Invest Sabah Berhad deputy chairman George Wong.
With this development, Sandakan is poised to emerge as a hub for EV innovation, reinforcing the state’s commitment to sustainable industrialisation and economic transformation.–THE STAR
