STB-MYQASEH-FERTAS INKED MOC TO UPLIFT SABAH COMMUNITIES
KIULU, 14 October 2022: The Sabah Tourism Board (STB) and My Qaseh have agreed to work together under a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to empower rural people by giving them access to social and economic possibilities particularly in the tourism and hospitality industry.
The purpose of the MoC is to formalise existing discussions between My Qaseh and STB with the end goal of facilitating joint efforts to help the unemployed find work through the My Future Jobs programme run by the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO).
The MoC was signed between STB Chief Executive Officer Noredah Othman; My Qaseh Chief Executive Officer Trina Thomas Raj; and Federation of Rural Tourism Association Sabah (FeRTAS) president Walter Kandayon, recently.
The collaboration will see My Qaseh making Kiulu the pilot project and teaming up with FeRTAS to identify unemployed individuals.
In welcoming the partnership efforts, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment cum STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai stated that the project is in line with the state government’s Sabah Maju Jaya agenda and its sustainable development plan.
The state’s development agenda focuses on increasing human capital and improving people’s well-being to alleviate poverty, he added.
Joniston spoke during the launching of the Empowering Community-Based Tourism and Rural Tourism Through Human Capital Development project at Kampung Rangalau here, on Friday, following the signing of MoC.
“Tourism is one of the major contributors to the revenue of rural communities. At Sabah Tourism, we place a strong emphasis on developing rural people and exposing them to tourism prospects.
“The Sabah Tourism is constantly working closely with FeRTAS to discover potential community-based tourism products and aid communities in growing their potential by giving the necessary training and skills.
“I am confident that the creative cooperation between My Qaseh and STB will further uncover the potential of our people in rural areas and lead them in the proper direction in their professional trajectory,” he said.
Joniston, who is assemblyman for Kiulu, also advised both parties to come up with a mechanism to measure the effectiveness of the collaboration and look into the possibilities of expanding to other communities with high poverty rates.
Meanwhile, Trina disclosed that My Qaseh inked a Memorandum of Understanding with PERKESO in April of this year, allowing them to access 400,000 jobs through the organization’s My Future Jobs platform for the country’s targeted population groups.
“The Sabah Tourism under Joniston’s able leadership is a driving force behind this (collaborative partnership) effort, which allows us to collaborate with FeRTAS to run the pilot programme in Kiulu.
“At the outset, the project seeks to encourage 1,000 individuals to register with FeRTAS and participate in this programme to gain job placement prospects.
“The My Future Jobs platform already has over 8,500 job placement opportunities in Sabah, and we are certain that this relationship will assist Sabah communities, particularly in Kiulu, in obtaining the necessary jobs, especially in the tourism and service industry,” she said.
Trina also stated that they are currently in discussions with a number of employer associations to secure additional access to available jobs in vertical industries, including hospitality and tourism.
“We are confident that this collaboration will provide an additional platform for Sabah communities to explore supplementary economic opportunities that can uplift their current social environment and status,” she said.
– ENDS –
About Sabah Tourism Board
The Sabah Tourism Board, or generally known as Sabah Tourism, is an agency of the Sabah State Government operating under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment. Sabah Tourism was first established in August 1976 as the Sabah Tourism Promotion Corporation and later re-established as Sabah Tourism Board.
Sabah Tourism’s primary responsibility is the marketing and promotion of tourism for the State. It has since expanded in roles and responsibilities to cater to the current needs of the global tourism market.