Turtle Islands set to be barter trade gateway – mayor
KOTA KINABALU: Zambasulta Traders Association president Faizal Jamalul thanked the GRS-led Sabah Government for allowing the use of kumpits (traditional wooden boats) in barter trade and transshipment activities from Sabah to the Philippines and Indonesia, and vice-versa starting March 5.
Commenting on the announcement by the Chief Minister, he said the decision is timely, laudable, and beneficial to the people of the three borders.
"Thank you very much Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and to your new administration as well as to the people of Sabah.
“The government's bold decision is timely because Turtle Islands or Taganak Municipality is on its way to become the gateway for barter trading activities in the Philippines," Faizal who is also the elected mayor of Turtle Islands said in an interview Wednesday.
He said provincial governor Yshmail Sali, top leaders of BARMM and the Duterte administration have unanimously consented to make the last island municipality (Turtle Islands) of Tawi-Tawi as the country's 'Gateway for Barter Trade'.
Faizal said his municipality which is less than an hour's boat ride to Sandakan will have its own CIQS (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, and Security) facilities very soon.
With such facilities in place in a month or two, the soft spoken mayor said barter trading activities will be effectively carried out with not much problems.
To a question, Faizal said the municipality is equipped with a new wharf designed to cater for 10 to 20 kumpits, temporary Customs and Quarantine offices, plus military and police outposts to accommodate the needs of Filipino traders and the public at large.
He added that an Immigration office will also be established very soon.
On the security aspect, Faizal revealed that a radar system will be set up in the area in a couple of months.
"This radar equipment with 60 nautical miles coverage will greatly help monitor movements at sea."
With the radar equipment plus the setting up of free WiFi sites and installations of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) facilities in my municipality this month, the Mayor's communication will no longer be a problem to the local populace.
The said facilities will also make communication easier especially during emergency situations, he opined.
"It will now be faster for us to contact our local authorities including our Malaysian counterparts during cross-border crimes executed by criminals and terrorists in the area," he stressed.
"Turtle Island is just few steps away from becoming the 'Gateway for Barter Trade'. We are looking to make it happen before middle of this year," Faizal said.
Finally, the Zambasulta Trader Association President revealed his priority plan to pay a courtesy call on the Sabah Chief Minister soon.
"I will pay a visit to Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to personally thank him for allowing Filipinos to use our kumpit to do barter trading in Sabah. I will also brief the Chief Minister of my plans on how to keep both borders safe from any eventualities from bad elements including putting a stop to smuggling, illegal recruitments, illegal drug distributions and other crimes that would affect the interest and welfare of Filipinos and Malaysians particularly Sabahans."
It is also my dream, Faizal said to transform Turtle Islands into a new tourist destination of the Philippines by taking Sabah and Malaysia in general as our model.