Sabah to look at lifting barter trade ban in its east coast

A file picture of the Sandakan barter trade jetty before the ban was instituted.

KOTA KINABALU: The ban on the centuries-old barter trade between Sabah and southern Philippines, instituted two years ago at the height of a spate of cross-border kidnappings, is expected to be lifted, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said.

He said the state Cabinet has discussed the possibility of lifting the ban on the barter trade between Sabah with its southern Philippines and Indonesian neighbours in an effort to boost trade and economic activities in Sabah.