Investors confident Sabah Govt can contain Covid-19

0

KOTA KINABALU: Taiwanese investors in Sabah are confident in the State Government’s ability in managing and controlling the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic here.

Taipei Investors’ Association in Malaysia deputy secretary general Eric Yang Ming Hsun said the Sabah Government’s decision to ban flights from China and other Covid-19 affected countries early on and focused on controlling the pandemic internally had been effective in preventing large-scale outbreak.

“I am confident in Sabah’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Sabah is more closed off than other states, unlike Peninsular Malaysia where the virus was harder to control.

“I believe it will not be difficult to contain the virus in Sabah as long as we adhere to the preventive measures,” he said after witnessing the handing over of 4,000 face masks and 90 isolation gowns to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) donated by the East Malaysia Standing Committee of the association here yesterday.

The association also donated 3,000 face masks to the Karamunsing district police headquarters (IPD).

Yang is the director of OK Paint Sdn Bhd, Kaosin Industry and Yoyo Café Sdn Bhd based in Sabah.

He said there was a sizeable Taiwanese community in Sabah, majority of whom have stayed put in the State amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Besides the unavailability of flights to and from Taiwan, most of us are staying in Sabah because we would have to undergo quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Taiwan.

“And when we come back to Sabah, we have to be quarantined for another 14 days.

“That amounts to four weeks in quarantine for a trip to Taiwan and back.”

On the other hand, Yang said there were about 30 to 40 Taiwanese companies operating in Sabah.

He said over one-third or the Taiwanese companies were in the timber and its related industry, such as manufacturing plywood that were then exported mainly to Korea, the United States and other countries, as well as for the local market.

“Their factories are located in Sandakan, Tawau, Keningau and Lahad Datu. Each of these factories is worth tens of millions to hundreds of millions of ringgit in investment.”

Elaborating further, he said the Taiwanese investors in the timber industry had been operating in Sabah for more than 25 years.

“They have ventured out from Taiwan in the 90s due to the ban on timber log import, labour and environmental issues at that time, and settled in Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries.”

Yang said the plywood manufacturers suffered quite significant losses during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period as they had not been allowed to operate or fulfil orders, whilst still having to pay their workers’ salary.

Meanwhile, he said the raw material, namely felled logs, had started to decay.

Apart from timber processing industry, he said Taiwanese investors in Sabah were also in the frozen seafood, tourism, car wash and food and beverage (F&B) sectors.

He admitted that the MCO had been a highly stressful period as employers were required to pay their employees despite having little to no income.

“We have to utilize our rainy day fund to pay for expenses during this time.”

He said Yoyo had 10 outlets or kiosks, but only four remained open during the MCO as shopping malls were closed.

“Most of our outlets or kiosks will be open by Friday.

“We are not in a rush to reopen as we need to check the condition of our machines first.”

Yang added that businesses would need time to recover from the impact of Covid-19.

“Businesses will not rebound overnight with the easing of the MCO.

“The government has to observe the situation and determine if additional measures have to be implemented if relaxing the MCO has caused a spike in Covid-19 infections.”

Meanwhile, The East Malaysia Standing Committee of Taipei Investors’ Association in Malaysia deputy president Yeh Tsung Hsin, who had been operating a frozen seafood export business for 14 years, said exports had been suspended due to logistical issues.

Sale of frozen seafood to hotels and restaurants has dropped as well.

However, Yeh said supply to supermarkets had increased during the MCO due to rise in demand.

Also present was East Malaysia Supervisory Committee member Wu Kuo Hwa.