SPEECH BY YAB DATUK SERI PANGLIMA MUSA HAJI AMAN

CHIEF MINISTER OF SABAH, AT THE 3^RD WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS OF JIANGMEN, CHINA OPENING CEREMONY ON 3^RD JUNE 2012, AT GRAND BALLROOM, THE PACIFIC SUTERA, SUTERA HARBOUR, RESORT

KOTA KINABALU

I am indeed honoured to join you here this morning for the opening ceremony of the 3^rd World Youth Congress of Jiangmen, China. I wish to thank The United Sabah Sze Yip Association led by its President Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, for inviting me to this grand world event.

On behalf of the Sabah State Government, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to all Congress delegates, and I hope your stay has so far been an enjoyable one. We are happy that Sabah has been given the opportunity to play host to this major world event. You have indeed picked the right destination for this Congress, and I trust delegates will one day return here either on official business or for a holiday.

I understand that some 1,000 youths from various countries are taking part in this prestigious Congress, themed ¡°Together in Sabah for a Brilliant Gathering.¡± The inaugural Congress in 2008 was held in Jiangmen and subsequently in Macau in 2010. This is the very first time you are holding your congress outside China, and I commend you for extending the event to a new destination. I wish to extend my appreciation to The United Sabah Sze Yip Association for its effort to bring this event to Sabah, Malaysia.

Youths are our future, and are leaders of tomorrow. The World Youth Congress of Jiangmen is a major event that provides a platform for youth leaders from all over the world to gather. This event does not only open doors for youths to network and exchange ideas, but also helps strengthen ties between nations. This event has also brought Malaysia and China closer together, and I believe that links between the two nations will only grow more firm in years to come.

I am happy to note the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding at this Congress. The first is to Promote Friendly Exchanges between Kota Kinabalu City Hall and Jiangmen City, and the second is linked to tourism promotions between the Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry and the Jiangmen Tourism Ministry. These partnerships will go a long way in creating new sources of growth in tourism and culture, and I commend all of those involved for their efforts in bringing these MoUs to the table.

Tourism is one of three sectors of growth under Sabah¡¯s Development Agenda, and is also an important component of Malaysia¡¯s National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs). Sabah is blessed with natural attractions that range from Mount Kinabalu to Sipadan Island, and tropical rainforests and other ecosystems that harbour some of the most iconic wildlife found on the planet. Sabah is a world class destination, strengthened by the fact that we are a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions, attracting travellers from all over the globe. I believe there are many opportunities that the MoU signatories can explore.

In relation to these latest partnerships, the State Government takes note that a number of delegations from China have recently started to visit Sabah, with some expressing interest in investing here especially in tourism, agriculture and aquaculture. This is indeed a positive sign, and we welcome investments that will help further grow some of our key economic sectors. We are always open to hearing what investors are interested in, and as long as these intentions are genuine, we will facilitate the creation of new businesses in Sabah.

I wish to share with you that Sabah is drawing investments from a range of nations. Just recently, Darden Incorporated, a seafood giant from the United States, committed USD2 billion to develop lobster farming in Sabah. The chief executive officer of this company was attracted to Sabah by our stable economic and political climate, and by our environment which for the most part is still in good condition. Another US based food giant by the name of Dole, has expressed interest in developing large scale fruit and vegetable farming.

It is my hope that youths at this Congress, some of whom I believe are running successful ventures, will learn more about Sabah and of Malaysia. Perhaps there are opportunities that you can explore here, including on joint venture basis. Other sectors of the economy that are important for Sabah include palm oil, manufacturing and oil and gas.

To all the youths in the audience, including the ones from overseas, I urge you to ponder on these few words of advise. What you reap tomorrow is what you sow today. Decisions you make today will charter the course of of your future. Be wise in whatever decision you make be it your education, work and even in starting a family. The youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Likewise, be wise in picking your leaders or your mentors. Social, economic and political stability is crucial to the progress of any country and its people including its youth. Therefore, I urge you to think before you act, to exercise a bit of restraint before you react and to remember that your country's future is in your hands.

To our friends from overseas, I hope that you will visit some places of interest while you are here. I also wish you a fruitful meeting, and all the best in your future undertakings. On that note, I am pleased to declare open the 3^rd World Youth Congress of Jiangmen, China. Thank you.