Frankie Liew Harun Ismail Lau Kok Sing
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government’s decision to agree on setting up a trade and tourism office in Singapore to promote economic potential in these two areas has been welcomed by the business community.
Sabah China Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) president Datuk Frankie Liew backed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor’s announcement to set up the trade and tourism office in Singapore.
He said the office would solidify Sabah’s position in the international financial platform and enable the state to attract more foreign funds and tourists.
He said that in response to Hajiji’s statement that Sabah has agreed in principle to the setting up of a trade and tourism office in Singapore to promote economic potential in these two areas.
According to Hajiji, Singapore is among Sabah’s top 10 trading partners with a trade value of RM133 million as at January this year. Among the 10 product categories exported to the island republic include palm oil, seafood, crude petroleum and wood products.
Liew said Singapore was a global financial hub where many conglomerates flock to for economic and trade activities.
“Singapore is only about two-hour flight away from Kota Kinabalu, which is convenient for travellers.”
He believed that the office would not only boost the bilateral trade between Sabah and Singapore, but also bring in more tourists to the state.
At the same time, Liew said Sabah could capitalize on the trade and tourism office to woo more foreign investors here.
“Sabah, the Land Below the Wind, has a lot to offer – beautiful scenery, rich natural resources, fertile soil and vast land – which offer great potential for investment.”
He said Sabah currently exported seafood directly to Singapore.
“Once the trade and tourism office in Singapore is set up, the agriculture and tourism industries in Sabah will soar.”
If the office in Singapore turns out successful, he hoped that the State Government would establish a similar centre in Hong Kong for the same purpose as well.
He said SCCC would be happy to facilitate investment projects between Sabah and China.
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) National vice president Datuk Lau Kok Sing also lauded the Chief Minister for his plan to set up a trade and tourism office.
He said setting up the office in an international financial and trading platform like Singapore will help woo foreign investors to Sabah.
“Sabah is blessed with vast, fertile land and rich natural resources. Having bigwigs investing in Sabah will certainly accelerate the development of our state.”
Lau, who is also the life honorary advisor of MCCC Sabah branch, said Sabah has enjoyed decades of economic ties with Singapore, a country that has grown to become a top global financial hub where major international banks and conglomerates flock to.
He praised Hajiji for the latter’s far-sightedness and vision in setting up the trade and tourism office, which if realized, will lure foreign funds and tourists to Sabah and speed up development in the state.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to Sabah’s economy, particularly the tourism, hotel and other related sectors that had been important economic drivers for the state.
“If the trade and tourism office is set up, the priority is to establish travel bubble between Singapore and Sabah.
“In doing so, we can attract Singaporean and international tourists to Sabah, thereby stimulate the recovery of the tourism, hotel, food and beverage (F&B) and other related sectors.”
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Lau said Sabah was a popular meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destination for business travellers from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, West Malaysia and other countries.
“Now that the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) has been completed, we can host a much larger group of MICE travellers in Sabah.”
He also suggested setting up similar trade and tourism office in Japan and Hong Kong as additional channels to seek foreign investors to Sabah should the office in Singapore is successful.
“With quantitative easing in the United States and huge cash flow in the international market, Sabah has enormous potential to attract more foreign investments through Singapore.”
Hence, Lau hoped that the trade and tourism office will be set up soon to realize the state’s aspiration of ‘Sabah Maju Jaya’.
MCCC Sabah branch president Michael Chin Wee Yee said Singapore’s strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia (SEA) would provide ample advantages for Sabahans to promote their products to a wider market in the region through the trade and tourism office.
He said the decision was also aligned with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan spearheaded by the Chief Minister, which consisted of three thrusts, namely agriculture, industry and tourism development.
“I believe the trade and tourism office will complement the SMJ development plan to boost the development of agriculture and tourism sectors in Sabah.”
As an important regional and international financial centre, Chin said Singapore was where investors from across the globe congregate.
“Sabah could leverage on the advantages the trade and tourism office offers to promote the potential of our products to the investors in Singapore in effort to bring in more foreign investments to the State to collaborate with local entrepreneurs in developing local products or tourism attractions on a joint venture basis.”
He lauded the State Government for taking proactive action in promote Sabah’s potential and products to foreign investors.
If the trade and tourism office in Singapore is realized, Chin hoped that the State Government would consider setting up similar office in other countries, including China, to facilitate trade and collaboration in agriculture, tourism and other sectors.
He added that gradual and conditional reopening of economic sectors would augur well for businesses and the people.
“The Chief Minister’s desire to set up the trade and tourism office will provide the industry players in Sabah with brighter prospects and confidence.”
Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) deputy president (trade) Datuk Harun Ismail said through the office, efforts to promote Sabah’s economic and tourism potential to international business communities located in Singapore can be intensified.
“This is a good proposal as it will allow us to work closely with Singapore in trade and economic growth as the Republic is a developed international financial and commercial centre.
“Our industries can benefit more from the collaborations of setting up such as office in Singapore to attract potential Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Sabah and to facilitate the ease of business access via Singapore,” he said.
“As per the Chief Minister said, Sabah would like to invite Singaporeans and international investors to look at opportunities under the State Government’s Halatuju Sabah Maju Jaya development plan, particularly in the agriculture and tourism sectors.
“Singapore is among Sabah’s top 10 trading partners and among the export products from the state to the Republic are crude palm oil, seafood, crude petroleum and wood products,” he said.
Harun said that there are abundant quality products and raw materials in Sabah and this will be able to attract business communities located in Singapore to engage a viable trading and business with companies and entrepreneurs in the state.
He pointed out that Singapore is a renowned global logistics hub with advanced infrastructure. Singapore is also known as a global hub for innovation.
“Therefore, we would like to invite business communities in Singapore to engage with Sabah’s trade and tourism office in Singapore to know more about business and investment opportunities in Sabah which can unlock the potential market in the BIMP-EAGA region,” he said.
The Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) also gives full support to set up a trade and tourism office in Singapore for economic development in these two areas.
Its president, Datuk Chua Soon Ping, said it is high time for the tourism sector in Sabah to build rapport with Singapore. “Our East Malaysian neighbor, Sarawak, has had many positive cooperation with
Singapore in the past and it is timely that we do the same,” he said.
By establishing a relationship with this Sabah office in Singapore, Chua foresees a spur in overall economic growth for the state.
“With an influx of tourists coming into the state, not only the hotel and restaurant industry will benefit from this relationship but more importantly, there will be spin-off effects on the local
economy too. Schemes such as MM2H and Sabah My PR Home would complement the initiative and are capable of bringing foreign investments into greater heights.”
Hajiji’s call for foreign investment complements Chua’s manifesto as president of Shareda which aims to repair the state economy through this proactive approach.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Sabah Chapter chairman Lawrence Chin also supports the setting up of a trade and tourism office.
Its chairman, Lawrence Chin, said the bilateral collaboration, especially in the tourism sector, could offer environmental and social benefits like job employments, as well as opportunities to generate significant returns, notably in hotels and theme parks which Sabah is lacking.
“During the peak season, there have been a growing demand for good quality hotels and international theme parks in Sabah. This will definitely encourage more Singapore investors to enter the hospitality market in the state to build more four- to five-star category and other tourism products,” he said.
MATTA president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said that it is timely to take this strategic approach taking into consideration that Singapore remains one of the key aviation hubs in the world and the region.
“We need to promote crucial air connectivity into Sabah for international tourist post pandemic travel.
“The aviation industry has been badly hit by the pandemic travel restrictions and the global aviation industry is expected to return to pre-Covid 19 level towards end of 2023 subject to evolution of the pandemic. Almost all foreign airlines have pulled out from Kota Kinabalu therefore we need an aviation hub with more frequent flights such as Singapore to connect us to the bigger market catchment.
“There were 21 direct flights weekly to Kota Kinabalu from Singapore pre-Covid-19. Certainly the trade and tourism office will complement the marketing and promotion efforts to lure more international tourists to Sabah,” concluded Tan.