KOTA KINABALU: Luyang Assemblywoman, Melanie Chia said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha should resign is Transport Minister if he does not know his job. Chia also said the Minister should stop protecting the few companies privy in the national shipping industry at the expense of Sabahans.
Chia was responding to Kong's assertion on Saturday that Sabahans have a misconception and misperception about the country's cabotage policy.
"The Minister obviously did not understand the issue raised repeatedly by the business communities in Sabah on the cabotage policy which was introduced in 1980.
"For him to say we do not understand the cabotage policy is really belittling Malaysians in Sabah," she said in a statement Monday.
Chia said businesses in Sabah have to incur higher costs due to the extra shipping costs due to the implementation of the policy.
"This policy has directly and indirectly resulted in the higher costs of goods for Malaysians in Sabah, she said, adding it is also a policy which trade associations, especially exporters in the State, put their fingers on for increasing the prices of, exports from Sabah to overseas countries rendering our goods not competitive," she said.
She said as Transport Minister, he should have at least had meetings and discussions with the trade associations in the State before making such utterance, which hurts the intelligence of the people in Sabah.
As the Minister in charge of transportation policy in the country, it is unthinkable that he does not know the business community's views on the subject, she said.
"SAPP wants the cabotage policy abolished so that all vessels, be it Malaysian or foreign, to be able to call at all ports in Malaysia. Sabah, would be able to, benefit from this especially with the strategic location of Kota Kinabalu in the Far East.
"If the federal Government is serious about the development of Sabah, it should consider the plea of the business community without further delay," she said.
Polisi yang membebankan rakyat, mansuhkan saja!
ReplyDeleteJangan biarkan hal ini dijadikan bahan/isu untuk kepentingan diri masing-masing.
ReplyDeleteMungkin Kong boleh jelaskan lebih lanjut kenapa dia cakap Sabahans tersalah tafsir terhadap polisi kabotaj.
ReplyDeleteSekurang-kurangnya rakyat akan tahu dengan lebih jelas mengenai apa yang diperkatakannya.
ReplyDeleteSemoga hal ini mendapat perhatian sewajarnya demi kebaikan semua pihak.
ReplyDeleteIf the government refuse to scrap the cabotage policy, then revise and improve it instead.
ReplyDeleteHope they will know what to do next.
Deletedasar ini harus dikaji dan sebaiknya dimasuhkan, jika tidak pembangkang akan terus main isu ini.
ReplyDeleteI hope this matter will not go too far, it could get worse.
ReplyDeleteKita sudah dimaklumkan yang pihak tertentu akan membincangkan mengenai dasar kabotaj ini yang mana memberikan perbezaan antara Sabah Sarawak dengan semenanjung.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan akan mencari jalan yang terbaik untuk memastikan beban yang ditanggung oleh penduduk Sabah akan berkurangan.
ReplyDeletethe purpose of this policy is to develop Malaysian ownership and local shipping in general whilst at the same time minimizing Malaysia’s dependence on foreign vessels as well as the outflow of foreign exchange in the form of freight payments..
ReplyDeletethe high costs of goods cannot be blamed solely on the cabotage policy without also referring to the total costs of transportation and logistics ashore including port costs and the high surcharges in Sabah.
ReplyDeletethe low productivity at the ports in Sabah also adds towards additional shipping costs. freight is only one component which makes up 46% (from a study by Malaysian Shipowners Association) whilst others such as forwarding, trucking, storage etc make up the rest...