Introduction
Yayasan Sabah, today operationally referred to as Yayasan Sabah Group, was established through Enactment No. 8 of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly in 1966. The man behind the establishment of Yayasan Sabah was the Father of the Independence of Sabah, the late Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun, whose vision was to promote Malaysian consciousness among the people of Sabah. The objectives of the Foundation are to provide education and educational facilities for Malaysians in Sabah, create opportunities for a more equitable distribution of economic wealth among the people in Sabah, and provide aid to charitable institutions and victims of natural disasters.
Over the years, the Group has diversified its activities to adapt to contemporary needs while indefinitely maintaining the forest under its stewardship. Starting with timber harvesting and progressing to downstream timber processing in the 1970s, the Group expanded into various sectors, including agro-plantation, hospitality and tourism, biotechnology and horticulture, and real estate development.
In the last decade, the Group has ventured into the oil and gas industry to meet global demand and an ever-changing business world. With the vision of propelling the State's economy to greater heights, since early 2020, the Group has ventured into the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry through the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
Nearly 60 years after its establishment, the Group continues to offer scholarships and loans to support needy students and high achievers in pursuing their studies locally and abroad.
The Group provided a launching grant for the initial MARA Institute of Technology at Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu, in 1973, which now houses its very own Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah (KTYS). The Group is also proud to have given a launching grant for the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Sabah Branch at Limauan, Kinarut, in 1974. In 1995, the Group built a fast-track college campus for the temporary use of Universiti Malaysia Sabah at Likas, adjacent to the Menara Tun Mustapha. The establishment of the University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) in 2013 is another success story of the Group in expanding its role in education. Branded as a "Green University", UCSF subscribes that future generations must rely on a firm understanding of the interconnected issues facing us today towards sustainable living.
Since 2005, the zone offices have implemented core and support programmes. The core programme comprises Intellectual and Mind, Sociocultural, and Socioeconomics programmes. Support programmes include the Yayasan Sabah Special Assistance Scheme, Yayasan Sabah Secondary Scholarship, Yayasan Sabah District Hostel, Community Craft Programme, Iftar Programme, Community Infrastructure Aid Programme, and Disaster Relief Aid (Fire/Flood Victims) programmes.
As an advocate of conservation, the Group has set aside five conservation areas namely Danum Valley, Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon, Silam Coast, and Taliwas River. In the Southeast Asian region, the Group has established itself as a pioneer in good forest management, the leader in conservation efforts, and the rehabilitation of logged-over forests. Also, the Group is known worldwide for its exports of tissue culture of superior-quality teak.
A beacon of hope, the Group remains the PEOPLE's organisation to this day and keeps moving forward to be the best of the best.
