Christina Liew
KOTA KINABALU: Greater economic opportunities in Sabah could help curb the state’s “brain drain” of talented women, says Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
She noted that while there are no official statistics to confirm the trend, a significant number of skilled and qualified Sabahan women have left the state over the past few decades in search of better career prospects. Many now work in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore.
In her International Women’s Day message today, Liew highlighted that Sabah’s loss is a gain for other nations, where these women contribute to the workforce.
“During my overseas trips to promote Sabah as a preferred tourist destination, I have met successful Sabahan women who told me they had to migrate because they couldn’t find suitable employment in Sabah or were offered salaries that didn’t match their qualifications and experience,” she said.
She expressed hope that political stability, increased job opportunities, better working conditions, competitive salaries and a more conducive work environment would encourage some of them to return and contribute to the state’s development.
Liew recalled meeting a highly qualified Sabahan geologist at the Swepa International Women’s Conference last year, who had spent years working abroad. She believes Sabah’s growing oil and gas industry could attract skilled Sabahan women working in the sector overseas.
At the same time, she encouraged women entrepreneurs to tap into the revitalised tourism industry, which offers diverse business opportunities.
“Statistics from the Sabah Tourism Board’s Research Division indicate that domestic and international visitor arrivals are approaching pre-pandemic levels,” she said, calling it a positive sign for the industry.
Citing the Visitor Arrivals to Sabah Report for 2025, Liew noted that the state recorded 303,614 total visitor arrivals in January 2025, including 135,944 international visitors.
“Tourism receipts for January 2025 are estimated at RM723.09 million, reflecting a 23% increase compared to the same period in 2024,” she added.
