Kota Kinabalu: More Sabah goods will be able to penetrate the China market, said POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd Chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.
He said this was possible with a recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CAIQTest Innovation (Malaysia) Service Centre (CAIQTest).
The centre, Yong said, would lead to the setting up of a food testing and certification centre in Lahad Datu, where POIC Sabah is developing a regional processing and logistics hub.
“It also seeks the formalisation of procedures easing the certification of products aimed for the huge China market, including agro-based, aqua-based, edible oil, bird’s nests and downstream food products.
“Its proposed centre in Lahad Datu is seen as a new channel for Sabah manufacturers to better understand the China import market, its regulations, procedure and to potentially increase the volume and variety of Sabah exports to China,” he said in a statement.
Established in 2019, the Selangor-based CAIQTest is the window of the China Academy of Inspection and Quarantine in Malaysia.
It provides consultation, training, testing, inspection, filing and traceability services for Malaysia’s agriculture and aquaculture products, health food, cosmetics and other high quality goods produced by small and medium enterprises targeted for export to China.
The signing which Yong witnessed on Jan 27 was held via video conferencing with Malaysia China Business Council (MCBC) Executive Director Datuk Yong Tet Shing in Kuala Lumpur.
Other dignitaries who witnessed the online proceedings were Chinese Consul General in Kota Kinabalu Liang Caide, Sabah United Chinese Chamber of Commerce President Tan Sri Andrew Liew, Sabah Swiftlet House and Birds’ Nest Industry Association President Datuk Karim Bujang and Federation of Malaysia Chinese Associations President Tan Sri T.C Goh, among others.
CAIQTest’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Ch’ng Soo Ee signed for her company, while POIC Sabah’s signatory was its Chief Executive Officer Gwendolen Vu.
Vu said POIC had a superior infrastructure and port facilities being at the centre of abundant resources of the territories of BIMP-EAGA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
“POIC Lahad Datu has in recent years expanded from being an oil palm-based industrial park to include investments in ports and logistics, bio-refineries, oil and gas, agriculture, aquaculture food products and related small & medium enterprises.
“In the MoU, POIC Sabah will seek improvement, in the next few years, to sea and air connectivity out of Lahad Datu."
