KOTA KINABALU: June 25, 2026 – Sabah requires more local workers in the maritime industry to support the development of the blue economy and meet the needs of the sector, which continues to expand in the region.
Deputy Chief Minister III cum Sabah Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport, Datuk Ewon Benedick, said the Sabah State-level Seafarer Career Aspiration Programme had been organised to raise awareness among young people, particularly students, about career opportunities in the industry.
“The objective of this programme is to foster awareness and open up opportunities for our young people, especially students, to consider a career in the seafaring industry. This is a sector that we need in Sabah,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Sabah State-level Seafarer Career Aspiration Programme at the Hilton Hotel on Thursday.
According to Ewon, the state government was also focusing on blue economy development, including plans to establish a blue economy industrial park in Kudat, which was expected to create more job opportunities for Sabahans.
He said Sabah’s development could not be separated from the maritime transport sector, as the majority of construction materials, essential goods, machinery, vehicles and locally produced products relied on shipping routes for import and export.
“Sabah cannot and will not develop without maritime transport,” he said.
Ewon said career opportunities in the maritime industry were not limited to Sabah or Malaysia, but also opened doors for local youth to serve at the international level.
He also shared details of his visit to Dalian Maritime University in China, which had successfully produced skilled workers for the shipping industry, and expressed the hope that more Sabahans would venture into the field as ship captains, engineers, crew members and other related professions.
He said his ministry would continue to support the organisation of the Seafarer Career Aspiration Programme in the future as part of efforts to produce more local workers to meet the growing needs of the maritime industry in the Sabah region.
