ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 24 Aug)—Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael “Mhang” Sali recognized Sabah “as an important partner for mutual economic development” being the closest neighbor.
As posted in his Facebook page, the governor made the pronouncement as he addressed the assembly of businessmen and economic stakeholders from Malaysia, Sabah, China, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines during the Sabah China Economic Conference (SCEC) in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday.
“Our [Tawi-Tawi’s] proximity to Sabah vis-à-vis the economic dynamism within the BIMP-EAGA [Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asia Economic Growth] has proven time and again that our position along this growth area has even created more opportunities, especially with the state of Sabah that remains steadfast as our traditional trading partner for centuries,” Sali said.
The governor added that they are also “looking forward to collaborating in education, cultural preservation, and tourism development and promotion as part of our extensive and whole-of-province approach.”
In his speech he openly thanked the SCEC and its chairman, Datuk Yong Tek Lee, for the invitation to showcase Tawi-Tawi to the world through an economic partnership with Sabah, which he stated as “very timely” as the regional barter trading and passenger connectivity between Tawi-Tawi and Sabah is set to commence next month, which coincides with the “50th Kamahardikaan sin Tawi-Tawi,” or celebration for the founding of the province.
This year’s SCEC highlighted Artificial Intelligence in aid of humanitarian programs, tourism and arts, environmental protection, disaster readiness and response, and technological exhibition. It was held at Sabah International Convention Center in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. (Frencie L. Carreon / MindaNews)
