Kota Kinabalu: Strong collaboration between government, business leaders and grassroots communities is essential to drive Sandakan’s economic growth and digital transformation, said Sabah Economic Advisory Council Member Tan Sri Andrew Liew.
Andrew, who is also Sedco Board Director and Andamy Plantation Group Executive Chairman, said this during a courtesy visit and high-level dialogue with Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) President Datuk Walter Kenson.
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MPS councilor Datuk Tony Liew Ja Hou also attended the meeting, which centred on strategic economic blueprints and development projects for the district.
Andrew commended Walter’s leadership since assuming office, citing reductions in bureaucratic red tape, simplified application processes and faster business licence approvals as reforms that had sharpened Sandakan’s competitive edge and made the district more business-friendly.
He hopes that MPS will sustain this momentum by streamlining the evaluation of development master plans submitted by property developers, which he said would accelerate infrastructure projects and stimulate local economic growth.
On housing, Andrew urged MPS to take a more active role in securing approvals for and implementing affordable and low-cost housing schemes to meet rising demand among middle- to low-income households and young professionals.
He also called on the council to play a proactive role as the State Government explores the potential revival of barter trade between Sabah and the southern Philippines.
Given Sandakan’s geographical proximity and maritime advantages, reopening traditional barter trade channels would, he said, boost bilateral trade, strengthen regional economic cooperation and revitalise the local port and logistics sectors.
Andrew said Sandakan must adopt advanced technologies to upgrade its traditional tourism and palm oil industries, noting that both sectors needed to integrate smart management systems and high-end environmental technologies to reduce carbon emissions while improving production yields and product value.
He recommended that the MPS formalise closer collaboration with the private sector to develop smart infrastructure and invest in nurturing local digital talent, ensuring that the benefits of technological transformation are broadly shared.
He urged the MPS to establish a tighter cooperative mechanism with tourism stakeholders to build a smart tourism ecosystem, leveraging big data analytics, artificial intelligence and virtual tours to promote Sandakan’s wildlife conservation, historical heritage and island resorts to international visitors.
