Cabotage policy keeping East Malaysians poor
Goods are more expensive in Sabah and Sarawak because of the federal government's cabotage rules, say Pakatan Rakyat MPs.
PETALING JAYA May 2, 2012: Pakatan Rakyat MPs have asked for cabotage rules imposed on Sabah and Sarawak – the reason behind the higher price of goods there – to be relaxed.
They said that the policy set in the early 1980s made sure that all the domestic transport of foreign goods could only be done by Malaysian vessels.
This, according to them, led to excessive shipping costs, and ultimately a higher cost of living in East Malaysia.
“This protectionist policy has led to excessive shipping costs. The restrictive cabotage policy has allowed shipping companies to act as a monopoly,” said several Pakatan MPs.
They were Kuala Selangor MP (PAS) Dzulkefly Ahmad, Lembah Pantai MP (PKR) Nurul Izzah Anwar and Bukit Bendera MP (DAP) Liew Chin Tong.
They added that importers and exporters in Sabah had to pay more than RM1 billion for shipping services as a result, causing prices everywhere in East Malaysia to go up.
The MPs estimated that goods in Sabah and Sarawak were 20% to 30% higher than they were in the Peninsula.
“As a result, consumers in Sabah and Sarawak have to bear the burden of a higher cost of living as producers hike up prices to compensate the increase in cost of production.”
“This also poses problems to the local small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They are suffering and suffocating as a consequence of the rising production costs,” they said.
In a quick comparison, a manual-gear Proton Persona 1.6 B-Line model will cost RM46,713 in the Peninsula. The very same type will cost RM49,256 in East Malaysia.
Even foods are not spared. People eating out in East Malaysia can expect to pay RM1 or RM2 more for the same meal if it was served in the Peninsular.
Lower wages
If the higher cost of living wasn’t enough, the Pakatan MPs reminded that East Malaysians also had lower wages than their Peninsular counterparts.
Even the federal government, despite these concerns, does not appear to have taken this into account, as seen by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s recent minimum wage announcement.
On April 30, Najib said that the minimum wage for private sector employees in the Peninsula would be set at RM900, while the same employees in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan would get RM800.
It has been speculated that these issues have caused a number of young East Malaysians to leave their homes for the Peninsula in search of an easier life.
The Pakatan MPs said that as a result, the country’s cabotage policy needed to undergo a ‘full liberalisation’, which they say, would allow importers and exporters in East Malaysia to enjoy low shipping costs.
“This in turn would translate into cheaper consumer goods, and also provide a boost to the local SMEs,” they said.
Diharapkan polisi Kabotaj ini dapat dikaji semula dan ditambah baik.
BalasPadamI really hope so.
PadamDasar kabotaj merupakan satu bentuk monopoli yang memang patut dimansuhkan.
PadamCabotage Policy should just be scrapped.
PadamPolisi yang tidak relevan harus dikaji.
PadamPolisi ini perlu dikaji semula.
PadamMungkin polisi ini perlu di mansuhkan sahaja.
Padampolisi ini harus dihapuskan sahaja...harga barangan harus diseragamkan..
PadamPolisi yang sudah tidak releven perlulah diubah supaya masih sesuai untuk masa kini.
BalasPadamMasalahnya adalah polisi ini menyebabkan barang naik di Sabah.
PadamKalau harga barang naik dan gaji pun naik, tidak apa juga.
PadamHarga barang semakin naik, sangat membebankan rakyat.
Padampolisi ini memang sudah tidak relevan...harga barang sentiasa dinaikkan..ditambah dengan polisi ini, harga barangan di sabah jauh lebih tinggi..
PadamGovt was fully aware of complaints that the policy was stifling the State economic growth, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
BalasPadamSo do the best approach.
PadamGovt want every part of the country to grow economically and that is why the ministry need to look into these issues
BalasPadamHope that the FMU, the Sabah government as well as the Federal government will work together to come up with the best solution for this issue. We need to review the Cabotage Policy.
Padamsabah-go-green.blogspot.com
The cabotage policy should be revised back and improved.
BalasPadamAgreed.
PadamWe should not just blame the government but have to work together and see how to solve the issue.
BalasPadamIt is no doubt E.Malaysia has the beautiful ports to handle the shipping etc .It should be a win win situation.
The problem with the current Cabotage Policy is that all foreign ships needs to go through Port Klang even though its nearer to dock at Sabah and Sarawak ports. Hope that this rule can be changed so that foreign ships can dock directly at East Malaysia.
Padamhttp://sabah-go-green.blogspot.com/
Previously the Cabotage Policy is set up because only a small number of Malaysian registered ships were playing the coastal routes. The purpose is to encourage local participation in domestic by encouraging local registration of ships and local incorporation of companies participating in domestic shipping. However there is need to review the policy to ensure that it won't continue to add burden to the East Malaysians.
BalasPadamhttp://sabah-go-green.blogspot.com/
It was vital that all existing policies involving the two states be reviewed if need be and modified to suit the circumstances in Sabah and Sarawak.
BalasPadamotherwise that would be unfair.
Padam"This is why the one country-two system administration must be adopted by the government to take into account the geographical and cultural positions of the Borneo states.-JK"
BalasPadamWhat do you think about this?
Tidak salah gunakan sistem seperti itu kerana ia menghormati apa yang ada dalam perjanjian 20 Perkara dan Perjanjian Persekutuan Malaysia. Patut dari dulu lagi ia diaplikasikan supaya rakyat Sabah tidak ketinggalan jauh.
Padamramai yang tidak puas hati dgn cabotage policy, sebaiknya ia dikaji semula. ktia perlukan polisy yang lebih baik.
BalasPadamHarap kerajaan akan ambil perhatian dalam isu cabotage ini.
PadamWe should enjoy the same benefit like in the west. this isn't fair.
BalasPadamCabotage cuma memanfaatkan syarikat shipping shaja.
BalasPadampolisi ini membebankan rakyat...ianya harus dihapuskan...
PadamSistem ini cuma mebebankan rakyat dengan membayar lebih banyak.
BalasPadamKerajaan harus prihatin dengan rakyat. Sistem ini tidak memanfaatkan rakyat.
BalasPadamya..rakyat harus jadi keutamaan.
PadamWe can't survive with the minimum pay too.
BalasPadamPolisi ini hanya membebankan rakyat sahaja, harus di kaji semula.
BalasPadamkerajaan juga harus menjamin harga barangan tidak akan dinaikkan berikutan pengumuman dasar gaji minimum baru2 ini.
PadamThe government needs to look into this matter.
BalasPadamdikatakan bahawa TPM akan membawa isu kabotaj ini ke mesyurat kabinet akan datang...diharapkan akan ada penyelesaian kepada masalah ini..
BalasPadamharap pekara ni akan diberikan perhatian yang sewajarnya.
PadamThe cost of living is getting high which makes it difficult for the average to survive.
BalasPadammasalah kos hidup yang semakin tinggi harus diatasi.
PadamI beseech the government to listen to the voice of the people.
BalasPadamPlease review the cabotage policy.
BalasPadamPlease put a stop to high cost of living in Sabah, lets consider the less privilege.
BalasPadamMasalah sangat jelas. Adakah ia tidak cukup meyakinkan lagi bahawa polisi kabotaj ini membebankan rakyat Sabah? Jika mahu melindungi kepentingan kapal2 M'sia, ubah saja mana2 perkara yang tidak relevan dalam polisi KAbotaj tersebut.
BalasPadamjika ianya membebankan rakyat, memang wajar dikaji semula.
Padamapa pun yang dilaksanakan, pastikan ianya baik untuk rakyat.
BalasPadamIsu ini telah pun dibawa ke kabinet untuk dibincangkan. Harap akan ada jalan penyelesaian mengenai kabotaj ini.
BalasPadamshipping rates were only one of eight components in a total supply chain involved in the transportation of goods. among other costs involved in total supply chain are charges related to port, forwarding, trucking, storage and terminal handling services.
BalasPadamthe cabotage policy is a policy that is practiced by many nations worldwide including developed nations. for some of these nations, it is so strictly implemented that no foreign-owned vessels are even allowed to operate within their domestic waters.
BalasPadamDeputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he will propose for a special cabinet committee to be formed to look into the cabotage policy and other issues related to the price disparity between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
BalasPadam“The paper on cabotage policy will come back next week, which is rather timely. We will propose that a committee be set up to really look beyond what has been discussed so far, to look into details, what needs to be done and taken into account,” he said.
BalasPadamHe said he would bring the matter up to seek approval from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Naib Tun Razak.
BalasPadamMuhyiddin said the cabotage policy, which has long been blamed for the higher cost of living in Sabah, is of special interest to the Federal Government, just as it is to the State Government and business community in Sabah.
BalasPadamThe policy, together with the higher prices of goods in the state, has been brought up and discussed in Parliament on many occasions, but no tangible solution has been achieved so far, he said.
BalasPadam“We were so engrossed in discussion throughout the dinner that we did not realize what was going on around us. I asked what’s the biggest matter of concern to the business people in Sabah, I already knew the answer but I just wanted to be sure, and the answer was cabotage policy.
BalasPadam“I want to assure you that the issue is also a matter of interest to us at the federal level, with members of parliament from Sabah having repeatedly brought this up for discussion.
BalasPadam“Minister of Transport Datuk Kong Cho Ha has even prepared a paper on the whole issue. So much has been discussed but interestingly there has been no way forward,” he said.
BalasPadamMuhyiddin also noted there has been contention that the glaring disparity in the prices of goods between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia is not due to the cabotage policy but to complex economic factors.
BalasPadamThe role of the special committee, he said, should therefore include identifying and investigating all these factors as well as proposing viable solutions that could be implemented to overcome them.
BalasPadamHe said all parties involved, the business and the government must look beyond just the ongoing debate on cabotage policy but approach the issue from a holistic economic view.
BalasPadamHe said although price disparity is a pure economic matter, there are some quarters who have claimed “unofficial cartel” is monopolizing the market and causing the cost of living in this part of the country to be higher.
BalasPadam“I don’t want to say this and make the shipping companies think that the DPM is making allegation but this is the assumption, but even if this is indeed the case, we have a competition monitoring body in place, anti-monopoly laws,” he said
BalasPadamMuhyiddin said attention should be given to finding tangible solutions in realizing the objective of making Sabah an economic hub for the region.
BalasPadamHe said the country is growing and so is Sabah, and with allocation and investment pouring in, the state already has all the ingredients needed to work towards realizing this ambition.
BalasPadam“But it must be remembered that such a problem like this (cabotage policy) could not be solved overnight, it takes time,” he said, adding that a thorough study needs to be conducted to investigate all aspects and concerns involved and whether a solution, for example making Kota Kinabalu a regional port is even economical.
BalasPadamHe stressed the Federal Government want to see Sabah continues to grow economically as this would translate into economic growth for the whole country.
BalasPadamChief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, in his welcoming remarks earlier, said local companies in Sabah want to be given more opportunities to participate and benefit from the oil and gas industry currently being developed in the state.
BalasPadam