Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is collaborating with Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaysia to do a research on poverty eradication in Sabah and Labuan.
The research is aimed at creating a life-changing impact for the people of Sabah and Labuan especially for rural communities.
The letter of intent (LOI) was signed by UMS Dean Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSK), Prof Dr Asmady Idris, and Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies (UAC) Director, Prof Dr Suhaiza Hanim Mohamad Zailani.
The signing was witnessed by UMSChancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor and UAC UM adviser Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed.
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“This collaboration is not just about research for the sake of research. It is about creating impactful solutions that will improve the lives of rural communities and address socioeconomic inequalities in a sustainable way.
“The research will be a transnational research, which allows us to translate our studies into solutions for poverty eradication,” he said during the signing ceremony of the LOI and the Hardcore Poverty Eradication (BTM) Benchmark Programme carried out by UMS researchers for Sabah and Labuan, here, Thursday.
The BTM programme visit was attended by a delegation headed by UAC, UM as well as representatives from the Federal Territory Department, Agrobank Centre of Excellence (ACE) and Yayasan Sime Darby.
Dr Kasim said such visits played crucial role in creating a significant impact for both parties.
“During this visit, the research head of the Hardcore Poverty Eradication Facilitation Grant (2022-2025), Associate Prof Dr Jalihah Md Shah, from FSSK and the entire UMS researchers involved in this grant will share their experience with fellow researchers from UAC UM regarding poverty findings in Sabah and Labuan,” he said.
Dr Kasim said the research findings would be presented to both State and Federal governments to formulate policies which align with national goals on poverty eradication.
He noted that the key challenges that contribute to Sabah’s poverty include inadequate infrastructure such as clean water, electricity, roads, and internet connectivity, as well as high living costs and low income levels. All these he said would create significant barriers to economic development.
Additionally, he said Sabah’s high cost of living is another contributing factor.
“Sabah’s cost of living is among the highest in Malaysia, yet incomes remain low. This inconsistency leads to socioeconomic inequalities, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure is insufficient to support economic growth, making it challenging to uplift the rural population,” he said.
Dr Kasim also acknowledged the lack of employment opportunities in Sabah due to various factors such as mismatch of skills, industry needs and inability to capture economic values in the state like in the palm oil sector.
“While Sabah boasts the largest acreage of palm oil plantations in Malaysia and abundant natural resources, the resulting economic benefits often do not stay within the state,” he said.
