KOTA KINABALU, 20 Nov — The Youth Wing of the SME Association of Malaysia recently led a delegation of nearly 30 young entrepreneurs from across the country on the “Eastern Learning Tour” Sabah Business Exploration Tour. The visit aimed to strengthen inter-state collaboration, unlock regional resources, and draw insights from Sabah’s rapidly growing economic ecosystem, thereby fostering forward looking commercial linkages.
The delegation was led by Organising Chairperson and Youth Chairman Teh Gaik Cheong. Supporting leaders included National Deputy President Dato’ Sri Ricky Yaw Chan Choy, Vice Presidents Datuk Ada Poon Yin Hoong and Datuk Michelle Siow Lee Ching, Sam Tsen Mun Ket, Council Member Niki Lan May Khay, among other
representatives. The strong leadership presence underscored the importance of this inter-state initiative.
During the tour, the delegation received a warm welcome from the SME Association of Sabah. President Dr. Deledda Tan and Honorary Life Founding President Datuk Prof. Ngee Kee Foo personally hosted the visiting group. The delegation also engaged in substantive discussions with local entrepreneurs, institutional representatives, and
industry leaders, covering key topics such as enterprise management, market potential, supply-chain resources, and models for inter-regional collaboration.
Sabah’s unique development advantages emerged as a key focus of the visit, particularly its strong growth momentum in tourism, retail consumption, and emerging industries. Many of the young entrepreneurs expressed the view that Sabah’s openness and rapid economic progress present promising opportunities for investment and business partnerships.
The delegation also visited Invest Sabah and toured Jesselton International, a prominent property and industrial developer in Sabah. Tan Sri Datuk David Chu, Executive Chairman of Jesselton International, personally hosted the group and provided an indepth briefing on the company’s key development projects, urban planning initiatives,
industrial layouts, and future investment directions. His presentation further deepened the delegation’s understanding of Sabah’s evolving economic landscape.
This journey was not merely a business visit but a strategic initiative encouraging young entrepreneurs to break geographical boundaries and broaden their commercial horizons.
First-hand exposure to regional markets enables enterprises to better grasp emerging trends, build cross-state networks, and identify new growth drivers.
Inter-regional learning expands perspectives and enables enterprises to align with more open and diverse business cultures. It also creates greater scope for cross-sector collaboration and resource integration. This exchange has laid a strong foundation for future cooperative projects, with both associations expressing their intention to continue fostering youth-led visits and connections to jointly develop high-potential inter-state business opportunities.
