Hajiji’s Foresight in RM7.2 billion Solar Glass Factory in 2024

In his everyday duties, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor has always put Sabahans first. He knew that investment into mega projects must happen. He worked hard for it, and he travelled to places to talk to investors to promote Sabah as a viable commercial and business investment destination, including to the People’s Republic of China, where he delivered a a talk, titled "Business and Investment Opportunities in Sabah" at the Global Chinese Economic and Technology Summit (GCET) in November 2023, at Shenzhen. Hajiji has reminded investors that one of Sabah’s advantages is its location within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA which has made Sabah as a regional nexus for manufacturing, maritime, and transportation.

Hajiji assured investors that Sabah has well-established industrial parks and infrastructures for investment, including the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP); the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP); and the POIC Lahad Datu and POIC Sandakan. By 2022, Sabah’s investment figure was remarkable, at USD 2.5 billion in 89 projects. Recall that in the past, Hajiji has said many times that he would work hard for a prosperous Sabah. After months of negotiations, his efforts bore fruits.

In November 2024, the giant company SBH Kibing Solar New Energy (M) Sdn Bhd came to Sabah to initiate a RM7.2 billion solar glass manufacturing plant at Kimanis, southwest of Sabah, which is expected to be one of the region’s largest state-of-the-art solar glass manufacturing plants of its kind. The company executed a sublease agreement with Fokasrama Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of State-owned Sawit Kinabalu Group; and a supply agreement with Sabah Energy Corporation Sdn Bhd (SEC), a Government Linked Companies to supply 45 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas to the factory's operations.

Hajiji has good foresight, knowing that the partnership investment will expand Sabah's renewable energy infrastructure, and to enhance Sabah’s global solar energy market position. Hajiji knew that the partnership initiative will generate further economic growth for Sabah and creating employment opportunities for the local communities.