THE QUESTION on whether FT
Labuan is still having a 'free port' status now, and is the government going to
allowing the 'Barter Trade' to be revived on the island?
This was raised by the Kota
Kinabalu Member of Parliament Hiew King Cheu recently in the June sitting in
the Parliament. The Finance Minister in a written reply said that the Labuan
Island is given the special right as a 'Free Port' which is provided under the
Clause XVIII under Section 154 to 160 of the Custom Act 1967. Thus, FT Labuan
is a 100% free port.
At the time being, the
government is not considering to allow the Barter Trade in FT Labuan to be
restarted again.
The people in Sabah and from
FT Labuan have requested the KK MP during his visit to Labuan Island to help to
put their question in Parliament. After knowing the answer, they are not happy
at all. Many people asked why the island is a 100% a free port and yet the
prices of many items are more expensive than Sabah and Sarawak? In the past we
can buy cheap goods from Labuan which included those imported from overseas
country.
The Barter Trade business is
the live-line of Labuan Island and last time many people depended on this to
earn a living. The traders from neighbouring countries had regularly came to do
their trading on their produce and in exchange for the Labuan goods.
The barter trade was
terminated by the government claiming that the trading brought along smuggling
and illegal businesses. This severely cut off the live-lines of many businesses
of the people in Labuan.
They had not recovered until
today and their businesses gone, and in return this had affected seriously the
economy of Labuan Island. The once booming island has been converted to an
island without much business activity. Labuan has been suffering from very slow
economic growth since.
KK MP Hiew who often visits
Labuan has close connection with the people here, and he felt that Labuan
needed immediate attention especially in its economic advancement. There is
just not enough economic activity here to sustain its financial stability. The
government is not doing much in terms of helping the island.
The various businesses here
can not grow without injection of fund and other big investments and
development projects. Hiew said to put Labuan back on its feet, the government
must put in great efforts and encourage investments into the island. It has
plenty of potential and opportunities, if it is carried out by a government who
has the determination and vision to open it up.
Back in the mid 1970s,
Labuan was just an island with little or no industries and business
opportunities. It had became booming until the establishment of the oil rig
fabrication yard (Broom and Root), the Labuan Flour and Feed Mill, the Sabah
Ship Yard, the Shell oil and gas base and terminal, the Asian Supply Base etc.
The Kg Rancha Rancha and
Pulau Eno were transformed from a fishing village into a heavy industry site
with the setting up of the gas methanol plant and the iron smelting plant. For
this, we must thank the people who had the vision, the wisdom and the will
power to give these to the Labuan people. These people shall be remembered by
all here in Labuan.
It is sad to see that today
there is no plan to bring into Labuan any economy booster or any positive
economic directives/plans whereby the Labuan people can fall on or follow. In
another words, the BN government has totally failed the Labuan people. (DAP
Media)
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteDATUK YIP KUM FOOK sangat jahat kerana menggunakan polis dan gangster untuk menghalau sami Buddha keluar dari kuil, memaksa semua sami Buddha keluar dari kuil secepat mungkin, dll.
Kemudian Sami Buddha perlu keluar dari Kuil kerana mereka atau pasukan DATUK YIP KUM FOOK kuat dan garang, beberapa sami perlu ke hotel untuk berehat, dan beberapa penganut membawa sami ke rumah mereka di Kepong Baru
Kalau ada yang tak percayakan kami, sila hubungi Ah Wah, Selayang...Bob Tan, Ah Chuah, dll.... adalah saksi kejadian pada hari tersebut.
Segala-galanya tidak akan dilupakan oleh penganut Buddha di Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong, dan kami akan menghantar maklumat ini kepada dunia Buddha(Buddhist) dan Dunia Buddha Sangha dan juga berkongsi di internet
Oleh Yap, Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong