Labuan port capable of handling barter trade: Chamber
Published on: Sunday, April 17, 2022
By: Bernama
Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman
LABUAN: The Labuan containerised port of Labuan Liberty Wharf is capable of handling the influx of vessels from the Southern Philippines if barter trade is allowed to resume, said Malaysian Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) Labuan President Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman.He said DPMM Labuan is in favour of the proposed revival of the island’s traditional business activity, which had benefited the local businesses.
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“We are very supportive of the proposal and we are very optimistic Labuan can regain its economic glory with the revival of the trade.
“We have witnessed how the trade became the game changer to the business landscape in this duty-free island in the past,” he said after hosting Iftar Ramadan to Orphans, People with Disabilities (OKU), tahfiz students and single mothers, here, Friday.
He said the natural depth within the Labuan Liberty Wharf waters and its surroundings and the size of its jetty should be able to handle the barter trade activities and not necessarily require a new jetty for the activity.
Suhaili, who was the former Labuan MP, said the security aspect of Sabah waters and Labuan must also be tightly controlled.
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“We believe once it resumes, it will be 90 per cent of our goods can go through the activity whereas only 10 per cent from the Southern Philippines can be brought here.
“Certainly, it will benefit the local traders and there will be foreign exchange business activity taking place,” he said.
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Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim on April 14 said Labuan would be reviving the traditional barter trade activity to drive the duty-free island’s economy back on track.
To this end, he said the Federal Territories Ministry would be submitting an application to the relevant ministries.
“During the heydays of the trade, Labuan’s economy was good, so we will apply for the revival of the barter trade,” he said.
Labuan business chambers of Indian and Chinese had issued statements that the island’s economy has been feeling the pinch since barter trade was halted in 2016 after more than four decades in operation and Labuan has been drowning since the stop order for the barter trade.
During the heydays of the trade, hundreds of tonnes of copra were imported and exported while the Filipino merchants would fill their kumpits (long-wooden boats) with textiles, jeans, canned products and electrical appliances on their return trip.
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