The former chief minister in a statement said the ban on barter trade between Sabah and the Southern Philippines was mentioned by the State Government as the reason why hostages were released due to increased prices of daily essential goods that used to be supplied from Sabah to the Southern Philippines.
"This being the case, the imminent opening of barter trade at Labuan by businessmen from Peninsular Malaysia will deal a severe double blow to Sabah.
"First, the so-called 'security ban on barter trade' from Sabah's east coast would be rendered totally meaningless.
"Then, the permanent loss of the Philippines market for Sabah goods would deal an irreparable loss to the Sabah economy," he said.
He said the negative consequences to the Sabah economy is that even if cross-border security were restored in the future, Sabah would have forever lost its market in the Philippines.
"Sabah's traditional barter trade would be taken over by new players from outside Sabah.
"This is another grossly unfair treatment of Sabah by the federal authorities.
"This is something that the Sabah Government must take up immediately and forcefully or else the Sabah government risk being labelled as puppets," he said. - DE
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