KOTA KINABALU(TUE): Chief Executive Officer of Asian Supply Base Sdn. Bhd. (ASB), Labuan, Datuk Haji Harris Haji Annuar Tan and his team visited the Institute for Development Studies (Sabah) on Monday, 6 July 2020 in Wisma SEDIA, Kota Kinabalu. The ASB delegation was welcomed by IDS Chairman, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and IDS CEO, Mr. Anthony Kiob. The discussion between IDS and ASB was on their collaboration to establish an Integrated Training and Development Center in Sabah, serving various fields especially the oil and gas industry.
Recalling his past experience as the Chairman of ASB (1989-1994), Tan Sri Simon expressed his joy in ASB’s tremendous financial and physical progress achieved over the years under its capable and professional leadership. “The biggest asset of any organisation is their human capital, and an increase in productivity would depend on the quality of training each employee has,” said Tan Sri Simon in supporting the proposed setting up of the Integrated Training and Development Center.
Datuk Haji Harris added that the training center serves as a mechanism to narrow the gap between the demand and supply of the employment market, specifically within the oil and gas industry. “Equipping local youths from rural areas with skills from the industry, and connecting them with companies to be hired could decrease the rate of unemployment in Sabah, hence adding value not just for the industry, but also for the state,” he said. He added that the aim of the center is to train competent local Sabahans in the oil and gas industry, with skills that makes them desirable and mobile within the global workforce.
According to Mr. Anthony, the climate to set up the Integrated Training and Development Center in Sabah is highly conducive to be able to serve the short and long term requirements of the industrial and commercial community especially in the field of providing qualified human capitals. “By focusing on education and training, we are investing on promoting and accelerating Sabah’s industrial growth, which in hand would free the state from the overdependence of specialised and skilled foreign labours,” he added.
Developing an inclusive and sustainable training program would heavily impact Sabah’s local communities to be more independent and productive. Both IDS and ASB agreed that the collaboration is necessary in Sabah’s human capital development, which could benefit both the state and nation as a whole.
Also present were Mr. Razak Alli, Mr. Al Gaffric Mil Kusih, Mr. Marvin Chong, Mdm. Zulainaliwaty Sulaiman and Mdm. Georhinia Amatus from ASB, and Mr. Richard T. Koh, Hjh. Hasnah Samsudin, Mr. Alexander Palik, Mr. Alden Alex Raymond and Ms. Dg. Shamimi Yusry from IDS.
* Picture From left: Datuk Haji Harris Haji Annuar Tan, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and Mr. Anthony Kiob
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