SPEECH OF YAB DATUK
SERI MUSA HJ AMAN, CHIEF MINISTER OF
SABAH AT THE INNER WHEEL CLUB DISTRICT 330 AGM CUM FELLOWSHIP WEEKEND, AT LE MERIDIEN HOTEL, KOTA KINABALU, ON 17TH MARCH 2012
It gives me great pleasure to be
here this evening and I wish to thank the organizing committee for this
invitation to the 32nd Annual General Meeting of Inner Wheel
District 330 celebration ball. I was made to understand this is a weekend for
Inner Wheel Members to relax and rejuvenate and I am happy to note that you
have chosen Kota Kinabalu to do this. Indeed, Sabah – the Land Below the Wind,
continues to attract locals tourists from other parts of Malaysia and
from all over the world. Kota Kinabalu has the second busiest airport in Malaysia with
tourism arrivals of 2.8 million annually. Apart from nature attractions, we
offer facilities for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE).
Due to this, international and domestic visitors enjoy coming to Sabah, in particular Kota Kinabalu, for business and
leisure. I was told that many of you attended the 14th International
Inner Wheel Convention held here in May 2009 and can testify to what Sabah can offer.
Sabah is undergoing rapid
development as part of Malaysia’s
transformation programmes, including those which focus on the economy. Aside
from growing with the rest of the nation through national plans, Sabah has its own development agenda with main thrusts in
tourism, agriculture and manufacturing. Presently, our agriculture sector is
performing well, driven by the palm oil sector, while tourism has remained a
strong income and employment generator. The Kota Kinabalu
Industrial Park and other
initiatives such as the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster are driving the
manufacturing sector, with focus on creating downstream products from palm oil
and from oil and gas.
On a different note, I would like
to speak about the role that women play in contributing to socio-economic
development. Women are top performers in institutes of higher learning. About
50 years ago, only one out of every 10 local undergraduates were women, but
today more than six out of 10 first degree holders are women. Malaysia’s
development plans have always been inclusive, and have ensured continuous
increased participation of women in the workforce and the number of women in
key decision-making positions. Our country also continues to support single
mothers with small incomes, and to encourage entrepreneurship among women who
live in rural areas. I believe these measures are in line with the Inner Wheel
vision of true friendship, personal service and understanding. As the world’s
largest women service organization with over 100,000 members worldwide, you
have continued to serve with dedication and passion. It has been said that it
only takes a small effort to make a big difference. I would like to congratulate Inner Wheel Club members for making a difference
through your service to mankind. However, it is said that “all work and no play
makes Jane a dull girl.” I hope that women with their hectic multiple roles
will make time to take care of their health and manage stress.
On this note, I wish to
congratulate the President and members of the Inner Wheel Club of Kota Kinabalu
for successfully organizing this AGM and Fellowship Weekend. I hope that you
will continue to strive for excellence in the years to come, and wish you all
the best in your future undertakings. Thank
you.