SIPITANG. SABAH, MALAYSIA December 13, 2025 – Sabah’s Deputy Chief Minister III, Datuk Ewon Benedick, is confident that the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) can become a major driver of the Sabah First agenda, particularly in generating employment opportunities and increasing the income of the people of Sabah.
He, who is also the Sabah Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport, said that based on a briefing from Sabah Oil & Gas Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (SOGDC), approximately 90 percent of the entire SOGIP area has been committed to investments that have already received approval.
“This clearly demonstrates the high confidence of investors in the potential of the SOGIP industrial area.
“I am very confident that SOGIP will not only contribute revenue to the State Government but also provide very significant employment opportunities to the people of Sabah, especially local graduates and residents in the Sipitang district,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after visiting the SOGDC office at SOGIP yesterday.
Ewon conducted a working visit to SOGIP to review the progress of the oil and gas industrial park managed by SOGDC, an agency under the supervision of the Sabah Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport.
He is confident that several more approved investments will begin their respective projects at SOGIP early next year, thereby strengthening SOGIP’s position as the state’s strategic industrial hub.
“I believe SOGDC will continue to contribute to the development of income-earning Sabah people through high-impact investments and enterprises that are being and will be implemented at SOGIP.
“I also shared the ministry’s vision and direction, and hope that the Sabah First team at SOGDC will continue to be empowered to provide quality services to all stakeholders, including realising the projected dividend payments to the Sabah State Government,” he said.
Earlier, he officiated a simple ground-breaking ceremony for the development of the Scheduled Waste Management Facility by E-Concern Borneo, which involves a total investment of around RM1.1 billion, to be implemented in phases covering four phases.
He then visited and reviewed the implementation of the Esteel investment at SOGIP, which involves a total investment value of around RM31 billion, making it one of the largest industrial investments currently.
Ewon was also taken to inspect the implementation of Esteel’s private jetty project, which is an important component in the company’s overall industrial chain and is now actively under construction, besides being informed about the need for additional land for the next investment phase.
In addition, Ewon also visited the PFLNG 3 project office at SOGIP and was briefed on PETRONAS operations there, including the progress of the PFLNG 3 project, the Sipitang Utilities under construction, and the operations of PETRONAS Chemicals Fertiliser (SAMUR).
He also visited the MOLF project site by SOGIP Port Sdn. Bhd. as well as the Petroventure Energy Sdn. Bhd. project, and received briefings from their respective chief executive officers.
“I am very confident that SOGDC will continue to contribute to the development of income-earning Sabah people through high-impact investments and enterprises at SOGIP.
“I also hope that the Sabah First team at SOGDC will continue to be empowered to ensure the best services to stakeholders as well as sustainable returns to the State Government,” he said.
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