DAVAO, The Philippines: Sarawak reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation and improving regional connectivity within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan stressed the importance of collaboration among subnational governments in driving regional development.
He said such cooperation was crucial to realising BIMP-EAGA’s shared vision of an integrated, prosperous and resilient region.
“The CMGLF (Chief Ministers, Governors and Local Governments Forum) is uniquely positioned to align BIMP-EAGA’s goals with both local and national agendas.
“Our cooperation must focus on streamlining policies, improving connectivity, enhancing border facilitation, and harnessing our complementarities,” he said during the BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Retreat at Samal Island here on Thursday.
Awang Tengah outlined Malaysia-EAGA’s progress in connectivity, trade facilitation, energy cooperation and sustainability, noting that these efforts supported the long-term goals of the sub-regional bloc.
He said major infrastructure projects, such as the Pan Borneo Highway, the Northern Coastal Highway, the Trans-Borneo Railway feasibility study, and the Tanjung Embang Deep Sea Port, would strengthen mobility and supply chain efficiency across BIMP-EAGA.
He added that new maritime routes, including Zamboanga-Sandakan and Davao-Labuan, were expected to reduce logistics costs by up to 30 per cent for businesses and transport operators.
“Sarawak’s renewable energy expansion, targeting 10GW by 2030 and 15GW by 2035, along with initiatives in Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and the blue and green economy, were highlighted as models for low-carbon development and sustainable growth in the region,” he added.
Awang Tengah stressed the importance of human capital development through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) cooperation involving neighbouring economies under BIMP-EAGA.
He commended the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) for advancing private-sector initiatives such as the BEC Card and the e-commerce consolidation hub at Sungai Tujuh, Sarawak-Brunei border.
As such, he said Sarawak remained ready to deepen its partnerships through the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office in Brunei (STATOB) and a new office to be established in Kalimantan Barat.
These platforms, he added, would strengthen cooperation in halal, high-tech and low-carbon industries among BIMP-EAGA members.
“With the full commitment of all economies, supported by an active Secretariat and Cluster leadership, we can work together to build a more integrated and resilient BIMP-EAGA,” he asserted.
