‘Sabah MPs must table motion to scrap cabotage’

The federal government's 'one policy fits all' system has
only brought hardship to Sabah, claims Jeffrey Kitingan.

KOTA KINABALU: Between the issuance of 40,000 free MyKads, the government’s refusal to hold an RCI on legalised illegals and the cabotage policy controversy, Sabah Umno and its partners in BN are between the devil and the deep blue sea, so to speak.

Will money be enough to buy off a BN victory in the 13th general election in face of simmering anger against the state and federal governments over these core issues?

That’s left to be seen, but for now it is imperative that Sabah MPs table a motion in parliament to scrap the cabotage policy which according to Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has ‘ruined’ the state economy and caused ‘unquantifiable damage’.

“In Sabah, the unfair and unjust cabotage policy has ruined the economy and caused untold and unquantifiable damage and loss to the people.

“The Sabah BN MPs should immediately table a motion in Parliament to pass the necessary amendments to the shipping laws to scrap the cabotage policy.

“And there is no reason for the other Peninsular Malaysia BN and non-BN MPs not to support such a motion,” he said.

Kitingan said if the BN leaders “can’t even do this simple thing, then it is clear they are not interested in doing the right thing for Sabah.”

The cabotage policy stipulated that all foreign goods be transported within the country’s ports by Malaysian vessels only, once they arrived in Malaysia which is normally in Port Klang.

This has invariably contributed to the higher costs of goods in East Malaysia.

It is a known fact that the Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) has for years been calling for the abolishment of the cabotage policy.

‘Two-systems needed’

But neither Chief Minister Musa Aman and his state government nor Sabah BN leaders at federal level have pushed for Putrajaya to scrap the policy.

According to Kitingan, moving forward the federal government must take into account the geographical and cultural positions of Sabah and Sarawak.

He said it was vital that all existing policies involving the two states be reviewed if need be and modified to suit the circumstances in Sabah and Sarawak.

“The policy clearly highlights the mistake of adopting a ‘one policy fits all’ philosophy adopted by the federal government,” he said in a statement.

“This is why the one country-two system administration must be adopted by the government to take into account the geographical and cultural positions of the Borneo states,” said Kitingan who helms the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Parry (STAR).

The Borneo Agenda which the STAR is flogging seeks to among others abolish the cabotage policy and other unfair and lop-sided policies which hinder the development and growth of the Borneo states.