However, minister Rafizi Ramli said the government is open to considering such a proposal in the future to boost economic development in the region.

“At present, the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area platform is available to promote cooperation in various focus areas, including investment collaboration,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.

He added that the state governments of Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan had been encouraged to strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines for regional economic development.

Rafizi was responding to Edwin Banta (GPS-Selangau), who asked about proposals to establish a special economic border zone for Sarawak.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Sarawak had emerged as a new economic powerhouse in Malaysia, attributing this success to the state’s political stability and clear policies.

He said Sarawak’s impressive economic growth had attracted significant interest from foreign investors, with last year’s investment figures being the highest in the nation’s history.

Anwar added that Sarawak was no longer merely catching up with other economic powerhouses in the country but had already surpassed the economic growth projections made a decade ago.