Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo Leads Successful Trade Mission to Sabah, Strengthening Ties and Opening New Opportunities

Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo, founder of Communication 21 Media Group and Executive Chairman (ASEAN) of the Global Confederation Of Belt And Road Economic Cooperation, recently led a highly successful trade mission to Sabah from 15th to 17th April 2024. The mission, supported and coordinated by INVEST SABAH, aimed to explore new avenues for collaboration and business development in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), where Sabah is the ideal hub of this region.

During the mission, Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo and his team had fruitful meetings with numerous government agencies in Sabah, all coordinated by Invest Sabah. The outcome of these meetings is to bring in more investors, especially from China, where Communication 21 Media Group will be launching a huge marketing program namely China-To-ASEAN, to bridge China's industrial and commercial sectors into ASEAN, under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

They also visited key industrial sites including Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) and Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC), where discussions focused on the development of the palm oil downstream processing industry and other related sectors. The mission also included a visit to University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF), a Model Boutique Green University, highlighting Sabah's commitment to sustainability and innovation in higher education.

One of the key highlights of the trade mission was the meeting with Qhazanah Sabah Berhad, an investment arm of the Sabah State Government. Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo and his team explored opportunities for investment and collaboration in various sectors including ports management, telecommunication, energy, and property development.

Speaking about the mission, Dr (h.c.) Benny Yeo said, "This trade mission to Sabah has been extremely productive, and we are excited about the opportunities it has opened up for collaboration and business development. Sabah's commitment to economic growth and sustainability aligns perfectly with our projects, ASEAN-Connect and SMF Connect Catalog Showcase."

The mission concluded with a fruitful "Dialogue Session" between the Global Confederation Of Belt And Road Economic Cooperation and YB Phoong Jin Zhe, Minister for Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship (Sabah). The session highlighted the importance of collaboration between government agencies and private sector organizations in driving economic growth and development.

The insights gained from this trade mission will be instrumental in further enhancing the objectives of Communication 21 Media Group, including the development of ASEAN-Connect, SMF Connect Catalog Showcase and China-To ASEAN. These projects aim to connect businesses, foster collaboration, and drive growth across ASEAN.