Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor said currently, sea vessels carrying goods from southern Mindanao in the Philippines go directly to Labuan.

“By establishing ferry services (to Palawan), barter trading at Kudat could be revived,” he said at the chief minister’s department’s post-Cabinet meeting at Menara Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu.

In a statement issued by the chief minister’s office, Hajiji also said that Kudat port may serve as a berthing point for vessels sailing from southern Mindanao to Labuan.

The Kudat port would have all the necessary facilities for this purpose, including customs, immigration, as well as quarantine and security checkpoints, he said.

He said the matter was discussed with transport minister Loke Siew Fook, who later toured Kudat with its MP, Verdon Bahanda.

Hajiji said the matter would also be discussed with Sabah police chief Jauteh Dikun on the security aspect of the proposal, before it is deliberated by the state security council.

On May 15, The Borneo Post reported that Verdon had handed over a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of a ferry service between Kudat, in the north of Sabah, and Palawan to the state government.

The proposal outlined the substantial benefits of the Kudat-Palawan sea link, emphasising its potential to enhance travel and trade activities between the two regions.

The detailed report recommended Brooke’s Point in Palawan as the designated port of call for the ferry service.

In January, Loke said the ferry route was a good idea as it would boost the socioeconomic prospects and the tourism sector of not just Kudat but Sabah as a whole.