Sabah needs to reduce politicking, focus more on rebuilding economy -- don

By Azlee Nor Mahmud

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 24  -- Sabah needs to mobilise its resources and increases labour productivity to revive its economy that has been badly affected by COVID-19-induced Movement Control Order (MCO) measures instead of being embroiled in political squabble, said a don.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy dean Prof Datuk Kasim Md Mansur said there were many factors that the state government should weigh to revitalise its economy post COVID-19.

“We have to look at it seriously, on how we can be back on track to build the momentum again so that the economic growth can be improved further and sustained growth in the future,” he told Bernama here today.

Kasim said all quarters in Sabah need to reduce politicking post the state election on Saturday and the new state government should focus more on rebuilding the economy and improving the people’s well-being.

He said once the new state government is installed, the focus should be realigned as Sabah has been ranked as Malaysia’s most poverty-stricken state.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed recently said Sabah recorded the highest poverty rate at 19.5 per cent, involving 99,869 households based on the 2019 Poverty Line Income (PGK) calculation methodology.

This is followed by Kelantan in the second spot with a poverty rate of 12.4 per cent involving 42,671 households, followed by Sarawak with a 9 per cent poverty rate involving 56,165 households.

Kasim said Sabah’s well-being needs to be put into perspective, as COVID-19 has impacted the state’s economy adversely.

“We know the impact (economic slowdown) would be very substantial, and it is projected that the growth would be negative this year but we're expecting that it will rebound back slowly and gradually,” he said.

Kasim said Sabah has many sectors that can be new growth areas, that can be optimised to their full potential to provide a stable income to its people.  

“Hopefully, the construction of Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah can be continued because it is a game changer to the state's economy.

“Once this highway can be completed in time, it can change the landscape of Sabah's economy in a very short time in the few years to come.

“It doesn't take long because once the infrastructure is there, I think there would be some spillover effects happening in certain areas in Sabah,” he said.

The Pan Borneo Sarawak, which is part of the Trans Borneo Highway will link with the 786.41 km Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah, the 425 km Jalan Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) and a 40 km highway from Kalabakan to Serundong in Sabah.

The highway will also be connected to Simanggaris in Kalimantan (Indonesia) by the 3,901 km Trans-Kalimantan Highway South which will eventually encompass the whole of Borneo, connecting nearly every coastal towns in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as that of Indonesia and Brunei.

Another growth area is Port Sepanggar that can become a major port, as its positioned in Kota Kinabalu and is connected to a good highway system in Sabah and would open up the border to Kalimantan.

“Port Sepanggar can play their role a a transshipment asset in the region, because it can shorten the travelling time carrying goods from Kota Kinabalu all the way to other places, including Kalimantan,” Mustapa said.

On a recent development of Port Sepanggar, the federal government has channelled RM34.3 million to the Sepanggar Bay Container Port here to improve its infrastructure facilities.

Mustapa said the amount was part of the RM1.027 billion allocated by the federal government under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

He said the cost of the port development project will be finalised in the 12MP (to be tabled in January next year).

Mustapa said Sabah aspires to attract more shipping lines to call at this (Sepanggar) port to enable it to become one of the transshipment centres in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) which definitely needs funds to develop the port’s facilities.

-- BERNAMA