Sabah Energy Corporation Launches Inaugural ESG Forum to Drive Sustainable Transformation

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Sabah Energy Corporation Sdn Bhd (SEC) today successfully convened its inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Forum 2025 under the theme ‘From Intention to Impact: Building a Fit-for-Purpose ESG Future’ at Menara SEC, one of Kota Kinabalu’s latest office landmarks.

The event brought together over 100 delegates from State agencies, GLCs, financial institutions, and sustainability practitioners, with the aim of fostering collaboration and accelerating ESG adoption across Sabah’s energy sector and beyond.

In his opening remarks, SEC Group Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Adzmir Abd Rahman welcomed guests to Menara SEC, describing it as the corporation’s new home and a symbol of progress. Datuk Adzmir also highlighted SEC’s duty to pursue responsible and forward-looking energy development that balances environmental responsibility, economic growth and community well-being.

As part of its broader ESG commitments, Datuk Adzmir also announced the launch of an annual Corporate Charity Run, aimed at promoting community health and social impact. The initiative reflects SEC’s ongoing effort to enhance community well-being through inclusive, purpose-driven engagement beyond the corporate sphere.

The forum was officiated by SEC Group Chairman, YB Datuk Annuar Ayub, who in his address emphasized the importance of ESG not just as a reporting tool but as a strategic lever for long-term competitiveness and resilience. He lauded the forum as a defining step in embedding sustainability as a shared value across Sabah’s institutional ecosystem.

Datuk Annuar reaffirmed SEC’s commitment to institutionalising ESG best practices through a 12-week exercise via a roadmap towards a fit- for-purpose, Sukuk-ready Sustainable Finance Framework. The afternoon session saw Maybank facilitating a deep-dive with SEC’ s leaders to enhance its identified ESG ambition and framework components in line with sustainability standards.

Maybank Investment Bank Berhad has been appointed as SEC’s Sole Principal Adviser, Lead Arranger, and Lead Manager for the establishment of its inaugural Sukuk Programme, and as the Sustainability Structuring Adviser for its Sustainable Finance Framework.

Michael Oh-Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Maybank Investment Bank said “Sabah is at an inflection point in its renewable energy journey, with untapped potential in solar, bioenergy and geothermal. Maybank as a regional leader in Islamic debt capital markets and sustainable finance is partnering with SEC to establish a Shariah-compliant, sustainability-ready funding platform to support its energy transition efforts and direct capital towards developing the state’s energy resources”.

The event also featured high-impact presentations from En. Wan Sayuti of PETRONAS and En. Nazim Noor, Director of ESG Strategy & Solutions of Group Global Banking from Maybank on national ESG imperatives and unlocking Sabah’s potential. This was followed by a dynamic panel session with insights from AGV Environment, Maybank Investment Bank, Ms. Valerie Ng, Head of Sustainable Finance, and SEC’s ESG initiators.

This Forum is envisioned as a signature platform to mainstream ESG leadership within Sabah, marking SEC’s bold step to connect sustainability ambitions with actionable outcomes.

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