Sandakan can benefit from BIMP-EAGA initiatives

SANDAKAN: Sandakan, located strategically for transshipment and logistics activities on Sabah’s east coast, could benefit from the Brunei, Indonesia,MalaysiaandPhilippines East Asia Growth Area’s (BIMPEAGA) trade initiatives.

Sandakan Municipal Council President Datuk Peter Hii said last night that with facilities like an airport and the Sandakan Port, the district had the potential to accommodate trade, tourism and barter-trade activities.

“This will be good for national interests and people will benefit from it.

“With help from the government in upgrading airports and seaports, it will definitely bring in more tourists and business opportunities to our territory,” he said at a dinner in conjunction with the installation ceremony of the BIMPEAGA Malaysia Business Council (BEMBC) Sandakan.

Hii hoped the new setup of the BEMBC Sandakan could work with the district to perform their duties diligently and achieve its goals.

Earlier, BIMP-EAGA Malaysia chairman Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed said the organisation was committed to achieving its five pillars, namely connectivity, tourism, power supply, social and education and environment.

He hoped BEMBC Sandakan, led by Datuk Seri Loo Yap Kiang, would be active in its programmes for the economic prosperity of the locals.

He also suggested that Sandakan could develop a wetland area at Kampung BDC here, as the land was suitable for mangrove plantations.

On boosting export activities from Sabah, Roselan Johar said BIMP-EAGA Malaysia encouraged the state government to venture into large scale plantation of ‘paulownia’ trees for the furniture industry, preferably on 10,000 hectares of land, which could generate 355,000 containers for export. — Bernama