SANDAKAN: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pix) said the development in Sandakan would focus on the timber-based manufacturing industry to provide job opportunities to the locals.
He said that in order to achieve this, a furniture factory should be developed in this district, especially since Sandakan is rich in timber.
“The late Datuk Stephen Wong had expressed that there must be a furniture factory built here (Sandakan).
“We do not export logs like what the previous government did because if we export logs, only certain people will profit from it. If we do not export, people will have jobs.”
He said this to reporters after a walkabout with DAP candidate for the upcoming Sandakan parliamentary seat by-election Vivian Wong Shir Yee and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang at the Public Market, here, today.
Shafie, who is also Semporna Member of Parliament and Warisan president, said Sandakan also had the Palm Oil Industry Cluster (POIC) that needed to be exploited and developed.
Meanwhile, he said the barter trade system between Sabah and neighbouring Philippines would start operating soon.
The chief minister said some things needed to be resolved in accordance with the rules of the international barter trade system.
He also said that Sandakan had tourism products and expanding Sandakan Airport could draw more tourists to the area.
“We believe this is the direction of Sandakan district to improve the lives of the people,“ he added.
On the remaining three days of the by-election campaign, he said the response was very encouraging and they would continue to go down to the grassroots to explain to the voters, the government’s ongoing efforts.
“We will explain the issues played up by the opposition and I am convinced the voters in Sandakan have a firm stand and are not easy to exploit,“ he said. — Bernama
