GUANGZHOU: November 13, 2026 – “Our goal is to develop industries that not only benefit investors but also increase the income of farmers, fishermen, food entrepreneurs and local communities.”
That is the hope of Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar, who wants the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah and business associations from China to be translated into the well-being of the Sabah people.
MCCC Sabah signed five friendship MoUs with business associations from China today, bringing efforts to strengthen Sabah-China economic and trade relations to another important phase.
The signing was among the key achievements of the Malaysia-China Economic & Trade Exchange and Business Matching Session programme in Guangzhou. It lays the foundation for a broader cooperation network in trade, investment and expertise sharing between the business communities of both sides.
The five organisations involved are the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, Guangzhou Overseas Expansion Enterprises Chamber of Commerce, Jilin Province Northeast Asia Trade Chamber of Commerce, Jilin Province Ginseng Chamber of Commerce and Xingtai Business Federation.
Jamawi said the ties established through the initiative must be translated into investment opportunities and commercial projects. The move could generate higher economic value for Sabah.
He said Sabah wants to move beyond exporting raw commodities by emphasising downstream processing, the application of modern technology and the production of value-added products.
MCCC Sabah President Datuk Dexter Lau Wei Dick said the signing of the five MoUs was not merely to fulfil the requirements of formal relations but served as a starting point for long-term cooperation and resource sharing between business organisations.
“Meaningful economic cooperation should not stop at one visit or business matching session. Real relationships are built through trust and long-term understanding,” he said.
He hoped the ties would open more opportunities for Sabah companies to explore the Chinese market, while attracting investors from the country to explore the state’s economic potential.
