Tawi Tawi people feel victimised by trade ban

KOTA KINABALU: The centuries-old barter trade between Sabah and southern Philippines is a lifeline for people on Tawi Tawi, the southern-most Philippine province and the closest to Sabah.

They depend on it to get daily essentials such as foodstuff, cooking gas and fuel, and will feel it the most now that Malaysian authorities have put a stop to the trade.

Some of the other islands around Tawi Tawi are only about an hour’s boat ride from the Sabah east coast towns of Lahad Datu and Semporna.

Former Tawi Tawi congressman Nur Jaafar told The Star that the province’s proximity to Sabah was the main reason they depended on importing the goods from the state instead of Zamboanga City.

He said the short distance meant that it was cheaper for traders to buy goods such as rice and cooking oil from Sabah instead of shipping it all the way from there.

He said Tawi Tawi islanders felt that they were being punished by the Sabah government.

The directive came in the wake of the abductions of four Malaysian seamen from a tugboat in waters off Pulau Ligitan near Semporna last Friday.

“The people of Tawi Tawi have nothing to do with the abductions. But they are suffering the consequences of that incident,” Nur said.

He urged the Sabah government to reconsider its decision.

Also, he asked that Malaysian security forces work with their Philippine counterparts to take action against the kidnap-for-ransom groups, which were based on Jolo island.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the end to barter trading was among the seven measures agreed on by the Sabah Cabinet on Wednesday.