Loke confirms Cabotage policy won't be reinstated
Published on: Monday, December 17, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: Federal Transport Minister Anthony Loke has confirmed that the matter of reinstating the Cabotage policy does not arise, said Sabah DAP Chairman Stephen Wong (pic). Taken aback by the recent recommendation by the National Shipping and Port Council to the Federal Government to reinstate the Cabotage policy, Wong said he immediately contacted Loke to seek a clarification.Wong, who is also Sandakan MP and State Health and People's Wellbeing Minister, said he had all along opposed the policy as it restricted the development of the local shipping industry and was one of the main causes of high prices of goods and lack of industrialisation in Sabah. ADVERTISEMENT "DAP has always been opposing the implementation of the Cabotage policy, until its suspension last year, as announced by former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib razak," he said.According to Wong, Loke clarified that the Government was studying the impact of suspending the policy and not reconsidering its implementation. In any case, he pointed out that the policy has little to do with lower prices of goods.Wong said maintaining the current status quo would at least stop the prices from rising further. "If the Cabotage policy is restored, the price of goods in Sabah will see another wave of increase, which will undoubtedly be a major blow to the already burdened people. This is totally unacceptable."ADVERTISEMENT Wong said he also told Loke that the high cost of shipping to Sabah was due to the monopolised market created by the implementation of the Cabotage policy over the years. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"This caused the price of goods in Sabah to be higher than our peninsula counterparts for many years.
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"It is also why the people of Sabah have always hoped that once the Cabotage policy is abolished, the Government will develop port facilities and the shipping industry in Sabah concurrent with that of the peninsula."