Empowering Rural Communities in Sabah, Malaysia: Practices and Challenges towards Sustainable Development

Rural community empowerment is a critical element in achieving sustainable development, especially in regions with marginalised populations and limited access to basic infrastructure. In Sabah, Malaysia, rural communities such as smallholder cocoa farmers and the stateless Bajau Laut face multiple socio-economic challenges. This paper examines empowerment as both a process and an outcome, supporting rural transformation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study focuses on three objectives: (i) to identify empowerment practices in rural settings, (ii) to explore implementation challenges, and (iii) to propose context-specific strategies for sustainable development. Using a qualitative case study approach, fieldwork was conducted in the East Coast of Sabah. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis of policies and SDG-related reports. Thematic analysis revealed distinct empowerment patterns. Cocoa farmers exhibited empowerment through cooperative membership, training, and sustainable farming practices, but remained constrained by limited capital, land access, and technology. The Bajau Laut, despite being stateless, maintained cultural resilience, internal social networks, and subsistence livelihood systems. However, their lack of legal recognition severely restricted development access. Both communities reflected uneven SDG integration, most closely aligned with Goals 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, and 12. Overall, tailored, community-based empowerment is essential to ensure inclusive and sustainable rural progress.