KPD-OISCA Tenom graduates urged to become young agropreneurs

6 February 2026

TENOM: Graduates of the KPD-OISCA Youth Training Centre have been urged to consider agriculture as a viable career and to venture into agropreneurship to support the continued growth of Sabah’s agricultural sector.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Haji Jamawi Jaafar said young people should take the initiative to develop idle land in their hometowns by applying the knowledge and skills gained during their training.

“If there is undeveloped land in your village, strengthen your resolve to become pioneers and young agropreneurs by putting into practice what you have learned,” he said when officiating at the 42nd Convocation Ceremony of the KPD-OISCA Tenom Youth Training Centre at the KPD-OISCA Multipurpose Hall here.

Jamawi, who is also the Member of the State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Melalap, said the ceremony marked an important milestone for the graduates, who had completed 16 months of training in various agricultural disciplines.

Encouraging the graduates, he said there was no shame in choosing farming as a profession, noting that agriculture remains a key pillar of the state’s economy.

He also acknowledged the sacrifices and continuous support of parents and families in shaping disciplined and productive young individuals.

According to Jamawi, the training programmes offered at the centre are aligned with the Government’s efforts to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in agriculture to ensure long-term food security and safety.

The centre follows a curriculum accredited by the Malaysian Department of Skills Development and incorporates the OISCA Japan training culture, which emphasises sustainable agriculture, forestry management and environmental conservation.

Since its establishment, the centre has adopted the principles of self-reliance and self-sufficiency by producing its own rice, vegetables and livestock, in line with the Kitchen Garden Initiative introduced in Sabah.

Jamawi said such initiatives could help communities reduce household food costs while generating additional income through the sale of surplus produce, in addition to promoting healthier lifestyles through the consumption of nutritious food.

To further enhance student development, the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with OISCA International Japan, enabling selected outstanding students to undergo training in Japan for periods of one to three years.

Jamawi expressed hope that modern agricultural concepts and systems learned abroad would be applied upon the students’ return to Sabah.

He congratulated the graduates, instructors and parents, and called on the newly trained youths to become pioneers in agriculture and contribute to the development of the state’s agricultural sector.

Those present included Assistant Minister I Datuk Haji Ruslan Muharam; Datuk Yussof Abdul Manan, chairman of the KPD Board of Directors; KPD general manager Jailis Masarip; senior assistant secretary of the ministry Rafidah Haji Raplee; Japanese Consul General Yamashita Yoshito; and Tenom Assistant District Officer Marcellus Joannes, representing the Tenom District Officer.