Cabotage exemption can elevate state’s agricultural products – Yahya
KOTA KINABALU: East Malaysia’s exemption from the Cabotage Policy is an opportunity to elevate the state’s agricultural entrepreneur products in the international arena.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin said there is truth to the policy being a confinement to the state industries’ development with the direct export and import limitations as foreign ships had to first go through Port Klang before arriving at Sabah shores.
He added entrepreneurs were urged to produce export level products but their competitiveness were stunted as they face the cost of freight and transportation charges due to the policy.
“However, it (policy) is no longer a barrier now. All the big ships from countries like China and Japan can come to Sabah directly.
“But there is also another barrier stopping the big ships from coming to Sabah. The ships might come here with a maximum capacity but they would go back with an empty ship because our products are not enough to fill these ships. We have to think about it as a chicken and egg situation,” said Yahya, who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister.
“With international standard products that can be exported with the right price, we can compete with others anywhere. Not only will our people be able to use the products in Malaysia but also those at the international level,” he added.
Yahya said Sabah is home to products that are not available in any parts of the world and have the government’s support with industry drivers such as the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).
He added besides products derived from the farm, entrepreneurs should also look into other potential products such as from the hard-to-breed sea urchins that can only be found in clean sea water.
Yahya highlighted this would not only push entrepreneurs in Sabah to think out of the box but should also motivate the people to keep an optimum cleanliness level throughout the state.
“The use of internet and effective online businesses will be able to expand the marketing and business. I recommend that RISDA help all these entrepreneurs to market their products under an online application so that their products will continue to be competitive in the future,” he said.
“Likewise, the latest packaging and labeling techniques must also be fully utilized by entrepreneurs,” he said when officiating the Karnival Usahawan RISDA Sabah 2017, held between August 11 to 13 and participated by 35 RISDA entrepreneurs and 10 other invited entrepreneurs, at Lintasan Deasoka.
According to RISDA (Development) deputy director Nasarudin Malek, there are currently 185 entrepreneurs from various fields under the organization.
“RISDA had also allocated RM1,533,000 for entrepreneur activities for RISDA Sabah encompassing the additional economic activities (AET) assistance of RM1,000,000 for the benefit of 70 entrepreneurs in various fields such as services, food, manufacturing and agriculture,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nasarudin said that the balance of RM533,000 allocation had been channeled to Sabah for the entrepreneurs to actively participate in the sector under RISDA.
RISDA member of authority Mohd Zahari Mohd Zinin, entrepreneur development division director Halimah Abd Kadir and Sabah state director Maizal Hakiman Nawawi were also present during the ceremony.