TAWAU: A Women’s Activity Centre (PAW) has been proposed for Sabah’s East Coast to expand the reach of women’s development programmes in the region.
Sabah Assistant Minister of Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing, Datuk Rina Jainal (pic), said that at present, only Beaufort and Kota Kinabalu have PAW centres.
“I believe the time has come for us to establish another centre in Sabah’s East Coast so that assistance and women’s empowerment programmes can be expanded.
“The establishment of the centre is important to ensure more women, particularly those in rural areas, have access to training opportunities, skills development and initiatives to strengthen their families’ economic well-being,” she said.
Rina, who is also the Kukusan state assemblywoman, said this after officiating the Sewing Machine Handover and Completion Ceremony for Session 1/2026 at the Skill Lab Training premises on Thursday.
At the event, she presented sewing machines and certificates of participation to nine trainees who successfully completed a six-month sewing skills training programme.
Meanwhile, Rina said the Sabah Government remains committed to empowering women, particularly those in rural areas, through skills training, equipment assistance and entrepreneurship development support to help improve their economic status and quality of life.
She said these efforts are implemented through the Sabah Women’s Affairs Department (Jhewa), which plays a key role in identifying women in need of support and providing suitable training opportunities.
Although the government has introduced various initiatives, Rina said economic disparities among women in Sabah remain a challenge that requires continued attention, particularly for those living in rural communities.
As such, she described training programmes like this as one of the government’s approaches to helping women acquire skills that enable them to venture into entrepreneurship or become competitive skilled workers.
Besides training, Rina said the government, through Jhewa, also provides various forms of support, including equipment assistance, to help participants start or expand their economic activities.
At the same time, she encouraged women entrepreneurs to organise themselves by forming registered associations or organisations.
“This is important because registered associations have better access to various forms of assistance and grants provided by both the state and Federal governments,” she said.
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