Kota Kinabalu: Sabah entrepreneurs and business leaders must recognise their potential, scale up their businesses and be prepared to compete on international platforms, said Sybil President Datuk Ar James Wong Kein Peng.
He said Sabah needed more formidable entrepreneurs, successful businesses and capable leaders to strengthen the State’s future economy, including companies that were ready to compete not only locally but internationally.
“A strong Sabah future economy begins with strong Sabahan economic leaders. We need to develop more formidable entrepreneurs, more successful businesses and more capable leaders,” he said in his speech at the CEO Masterclass Sabah 2026 on Tuesday.
James, who is also the Sedco Group General Manager, said Sabahans had already demonstrated their ability to compete with their international counterparts, citing experiences at universities where local students competed against Americans, Britons, Germans, Singaporeans and Australians.
“Yet Sabahans can still be among the top performers in universities internationally,” he said, urging participants to recognise their full potential and have the confidence to compete on any international platform.
He stressed that the next step was to scale up Sabah’s businesses, linking the success of local companies to the wider prosperity of the State.
“Because when our local businesses succeed, our people succeed. When our people prosper, our economy grows. And when our economy grows, Sabah’s future grows with it,” he said.
James also said the CEO Masterclass Sabah was intended to help strengthen the State’s business ecosystem by bringing together the business community, government and research institutions to learn from one another, collaborate and work towards a stronger future economy.
He said the event’s diverse participation, involving sectors including agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, construction and property development, telecommunications, infrastructure, finance and banking, food and beverage, as well as government agencies, entrepreneurs and innovators, could help generate new opportunities through cross-sector collaboration.
He encouraged business leaders to learn not only from the successes of the speakers but also from their struggles, mistakes and difficult decisions, emphasising that some of the greatest lessons in business came from difficult experiences.
“Sometimes the greatest lessons in business don’t come from victories, they come from the scars,” he said.
James urged participants to use the masterclass to build relationships, exchange ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration, noting that major business opportunities could begin with a simple conversation rather than a formal tender or business plan.
He said strengthening Sabah’s pool of business leaders and helping local companies grow would ultimately contribute to the State’s wider economic development, while emphasising the need for greater cooperation between different sectors.
“The State’s future has to be built collectively through cooperation among government, businesses, universities, research institutions and other stakeholders, as no sector can do it alone,” he explained.
James also highlighted the importance of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders remembering their origins, calling on them to give something back to the community by creating opportunities for young people, creating jobs, mentoring, supporting local businesses and reinvesting in Sabah’s economy.
“Sabah needs more than successful individuals; it needs successful individuals who care about the future of the State and its people.
“I hope every entrepreneur and business leader present would achieve greater success, expand their businesses and create greater wealth,” he concluded.
