By Olivia Miwil
olivia@nst.com.myPictures by Izhari AriffinKOTA KINABALU: A 40km road stretch proposed to connect Sabah and Kalimantan will help boost economic growth and better regulate cross-border trade.
The new trade gateway proposal would also help compensate those affected by the barter trade ban by the government on April 6 following a spate of kidnappings at sea off the east coast.
This was revealed by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan who chairs the Bumiputera Economic Council Special Committee for Natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
Rahman who is also Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister said Sabah could benefit by tapping into the potentials from Kalimantan has to offer.
“The proximity between two places and opportunities in oil and gas as well as plantation industry will given Sabah an advantage.
“Besides having higher capital as compared to other parts of Indonesia, the people of Kalimantan speaks similar language and share similar cultures with us,” he said.
Rahman said he will bring up the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“While it is understandable some are concerned about security and influx of immigrants but we should not let that come in the way of developing the economy.
"With the presence of a CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) checkpoint, the movement of people and goods could be better monitored," he said.
The council will also engage Malaysia airlines to increase the number of flights between both places for economic purposes, Rahman added.
Earlier Rahman said 44 companies in Sabah had been identified by the council’s High Performing Bumiputera Companies (Teras) programme under Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (Teraju).
Teraju is a secretariat to the council with purpose to lead, drive and coordinate the Bumiputera agenda as part of the National Transformation Plan.
Another 40 companies had also managed to get Teraju's facilitation fund of RM98 million for total investment worth RM866million.
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