BIMP EAGA Business Council

Message from the New BIMP EAGA Business Council (Malaysia, Sabah) Chairman

Excellencies, Business Leaders,

Distinguished Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen

In this year 2024, as a new Chairman of BEBC Malaysia (Sabah), appointed on 1 September 2023, I recommended that it is time to review solutions and discuss how to scale up innovative approaches promoted by the business council to further support the Government related initiative and programme in making the BIMP EAGA, an effective mechanism tool or programme in progressing our trade, tourism, business, research-based initiatives and security in a sustainable manner, WITHOUT leaving no one behind.

My appointment is endorsed my Special Envoy BIMP EAGA Sabah, and the nomination by Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Malaysia (KCCI) and SME Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce Sabah (SBCCS) is made to ensure that BEBC Malaysia (Sabah) is sending our clear signal and message to all business sectors including all stakeholders, that we are serious in delivering and sharing the responsibility in supporting the BEV 2025 Agenda and the International Sustainable Development Goals.

As business leaders, we are at the frontline of innovation. We know that sustainable solutions are critical for businesses to thrive in the longer-term. Indeed, BEBC should become the catalysts of change. We hope to share good business and technical examples of how we are being connected with business strategies and actions to support sustainable development. We will discuss how to unlock the power of businesses as a ‘force for good’, and how to build effective multi-stakeholder platforms at the country level to help drive solutions to complex challenges.

We are excited to invite all of you to enter a business and project partnership with us. Here at BIMP EAGA Business Council, we feel that our relative companies (through our respective private sectors) with your esteem companies, government department, community society and other Non-government Organization would greatly benefit from partnering up with all the leader in the various industries such as yours. We believe that this partnership would be mutually beneficial and help the BIMP EAGA initiatives to achieve its vision and goals.

Thank You

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Raymond Alfred

Chairman, BIMP EAGA Business Council, Malaysia (Sabah)

Chief Executive Officer for Allyssa Certification and Research Group

Deputy President of SME Bumiputera Chamber of Commerce Sabah (SBCCS)

Member of Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Malaysia (KCCI)

Member of The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) represents the private sector in BIMP-EAGA. The council enjoys a “fifth country” status at Senior Officials Meetings, with its chairman having the same rank as other senior officials during policy discussions.

The private sector has been central to BIMP-EAGA since the program was launched. At the first Ministerial Meeting in 1994, leaders emphasized the importance of ensuring private sector participation and endorsed the establishment of the council.

In Sabah, the private sector plays an important role in identifying challenges and solutions to better promote legal and transparent trade, sustainable environment management, green tourism (including support community-based tourism industries) and facilitating investment (in Energy Development, Economic Development and Infrastructure Development to support the Economic Development, Digital Marketing Development, Health Information System to Monitor Health Trend in BIMP EAGA regional area, Community-based Project on Tourism and Basic Infrastructure), and also helps identify private sector-led projects that can support the subregion’s development.

BEBC’s Role in Malaysia (Sabah)

The role of BEBC (Malaysia, Sabah) is originally followed the purpose of BEBC’s establishment in 1996, which include the following roles.

To promote economic development and other business activities in all the participating regions of BIMP-EAGA for greater prosperity and welfare of our peoples.
To foster closer relationships and economic co-operation among business sector organizations in the East ASEAN Growth Area.
To serve as the link among business entities and other economic organization involved in the East ASEAN Growth Area and to make representations with the governments on their behalf.
To deal with issues of common concern to members.
To disseminate information of common interest to members.
To communicate and/or liaise with relevant authorities and bodies within the BIMP-EAGA governments on matters affecting the interests of members and economic developments for East ASEAN Growth Area.
To raise funds through dues, subscriptions and other means from members for all the purposes and objects of the Council in such amounts and in such manner as may be provided for in the By-Laws.
To advocate to both public and private sector such policies, plans, projects and changes in regulation that will enhance business interactions leading to economic development for the East ASEAN Growth Area.

Generally, to promote and protect the mutual interest of members and to do all such other lawful acts as are incidental and conducive to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.

BEBC’s New Direction and Principles (Malaysia, Sabah) 2023 - Onward

Eight Principles to strengthen the direction of BEBC in the NEW ERA of BIMP EAGA Business Council in Sabah (2023 – Onward).

Transparent, green and blue business operation and related economic driven project is established in BIMP EAGA landscape through the implementation of Strategic and Proper Certification Programme Mechanism
Centralized spatial database for all business entities is established to allow exchange of information and improve supply-chain mechanism.
Mechanism to Support Special Envoy is established for Specific policies that required country-to-country synchronization and harmonization.
Integrate project and business development plan to meet BIMP EAGA Goals and maximize the effectiveness of the project development.
Communication among all stakeholders (Non-Government Organizations - NGOs, buyers, suppliers, operators, and administrators) is enhanced.
Technical solutions, Conflict Resolutions and recommendations from the business council is identified to enhance the implementation of BIMP EAGA programme at district, national, international and regional level.
Promote the cooperation among all the BIMP EAGA players in Four Countries, including the other member of ASEAN.

BEBC Appointed Member of Panel Advisors (Malaysia, Sabah) (2023 / 2024)

Chairman

Dr Raymond Alfred

Secretary

Ms Barbara David

Transport and Trade Facilitation

Datuk Ladislaus Maluda
Mr Wong Thart Sin
Datuk James Lim Shau Fui

Maritime Academy, Port and Shipping Operation

Dr Wilson Yong

Power and Energy (Generation, Transmission and Energy Security)

Datuk Ir. Peter Lajumin

Information and Communication Technology and Industrial 5.0

Prof. Ts. Dr Rayner Alfred

Marketing, Socio-Economic, Career and Innovation Development

Asso. Prof. Dr Geoffrey Tanakinjal

Agriculture-Farming Business and Other Commodity Trade

Asso. Prof. Dr Bonaventure Boniface Hunggim

Stakeholders Networking and Community Engagement

Dr Chin Pei Yee @ Christie

Blue Economy and Economic-based Food Security

Dr Rafiq Bobby Idris

Aquaculture and Food Farming related Project Development

Asso. Prof. Dr Ching Fui Fui @ Faihana

Tourism, Awareness-Education and Cultural Development

Puan Sri Diana Diego Datuk Yusof H. Diego
Mr. Benjamin Golimbi

Environment, Sustainability, Renewable Energy and Certification

Dr Raymond Alfred
Ar Rizal Ahmad Banjar

Security, Health Information System, PET (People-Trade-Environment) Legal Issues and Community Empowerment

Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Mohd Ali
Dr Loriot Kenson
Mr Batholomew Jingulam

Message from the New BIMP EAGA Business Council (Malaysia, Sabah) Chairman