KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) President Datuk Michael Lui has described Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement that Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan be exempted from the Cabotage policy starting June 1 as a victory for Sabahans.
“The various groups of business community in Sabah had been calling for the abolishment of the controversial Cabotage policy for more than 30 years.
“KKCCCI welcomes this long awaited great news for the people.
“The cabotage policy exemption once again proves the determination and sincerity of the government’s willingness to comply with the wishes of the people, to remedy and tackle the problem,” Michael said in a press statement yesterday.
KKCCCI also welcomed the establishment of the Blue Ocean Entrepreneurs Township (BOET) in Sabah as announced by the Prime Minister on Saturday.
Lui said the BOET was important to promote entrepreneurship in Sabah, whereby there are plenty of areas with development potential.
“I urge the business community to seize the opportunities of the assistance provided by the government to promote local products to overseas markets, so as to expand our business.
“We need participation from the business community to strengthen the State’s industrial development, to enhance the products made in Sabah, and to ensure we have adequate supply of goods to export in order to support the smooth functioning of our ports and reduce transportation costs, which in turn will help to lower the prices of goods in the State.”
Lui said KKCCCI strongly believes that the Sepanggar Bay Container Port (SBCP) has the potential to be developed into a transshipment hub for the Far East.
He said the government’s allocation of RM1.1 billion under the 11th Malaysian Plan to further improve port facilities and efficiency of SBCP would enhance the State’s global competitiveness and global connectivity, thereby accelerating the economic growth of Sabah.