KOTA KINABALU: Lorry transport operators have proposed to make Sabah the main shipping hub to replace Port Klang which has benefited from the cabotage policy for the past 30 years.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah said the Federation of Sabah Lorry Transportation Associations had raised the unfairness of the cabotage policy during a dialogue session between industry players and chambers of commerce with Transport Minister Dato’ Seri Liow Tiong Lai recently.
“The president (of the Federation of Sabah Lorry Transportation Associations) has proposed that since Port Klang has benefited from being the main shipping port for the last 30 years, why not Sabah be the main port for the next 10 or 20 years?”
Yong said he agreed with the proposal, though it involved long-term planning, because it was a way to allow West Malaysians to experience what Sabahans were going through under the cabotage policy.
In the context of making Sabah a shipping hub, Yong said East and West Malaysia should enjoy equal benefits that reflected the 1Malaysia concept.
Yong said this at the eighth installation ceremony of Sabah West Coast Lorry Transportation Association committee members here on Sunday.
The Sabah West Coast Lorry Transportation Association also urged the state government to lower road tax for commercial vehicles and to approve higher Permissible Laden Weight, or Berat Dengan Muatan (BDM) for lorries and trailers.
Yong said he had talked with Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Pairin Joseph Kitingan about increasing the BDM from 38 tonnes to 44 tonnes in Sabah.
He said West Malaysia and Sarawak had approved the increase in BDM, and therefore Sabah should not be neglected.
Yong requested the association to provide the statistics and information to be submitted to Pairin, and he believed that the request would be considered.
Likewise, Yong asked the Federation of Sabah Lorry Transportation Associations to submit statistics on commercial vehicle road tax across Malaysia.
He said different rates of road tax were imposed on commercial vehicles in Sabah, Sarawak and West Malaysia.
“I hope under our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s leadership, there will be no disparity in road tax (across Malaysia).”
Yong pointed out that our road could not be compared to that in West Malaysia.
“There are North-South Highway and East-West Highway in West Malaysia, but there is no highway here.”
He said the geographical terrain and hilly roads in Sabah also caused vehicles to consume more fuel.
Yong vowed to assist the lorry transport operators and requested the association to compile the necessary statistics for submission to the state government.
He said impact on lorry transporters would have a chain reaction effect on business and suppliers.
“This is a situation that the government does not wish to see, as the government put the interest of the people and economy first.”
Also present at the event were Sabah West Coast Lorry Transportation Association chairman Steven Foo Fook Shing and Federation of Sabah Lorry Transportation Associations president Steven Chua Pui Ming.