KOTA KINABALU: The state government has agreed in principle for the expansion of the Aquaculture Industrial Zone (ZIA) for seaweed cultivation at Burst-Point at Sebatik island in Tawau.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the move to provide a larger area for seaweed cultivation would help to improve the livelihood of the people on the island which is shared by Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Chief Minister, who was on a working visit to the island on Tuesday (Sept 6), was briefed by State Fisheries Deputy Director Azhar Kassim that Tawau is the second largest producer of seaweed in the state after the Semporna district.
Burst-Point, which fronts Nunukan in Indonesia's Kalimantan, has been found to be most suitable for high grade seaweed cultivation and currently, some 1,215ha has been cultivated through the involvement of 57 local entrepreneurs.
A total of 314 metric tonnes of seaweed amassing gross sales of RM2.4mil has been harvested during the first six-month this year, he said
The Chief Minister, who was accompanied by State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and State Attorney General Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, among others, was also briefed on the Malaysia-Indonesia maritime border near here today.
Hajiji was also briefed on the security issues along the border by Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Hamzah Ahmad, Sabah National Security Council director Noor Alam Khan Abdul Wahid Khan and Sabah Police deputy commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun.
Hajiji also visited the General Operations Force security outposts at Burst-Point, Wallace Bay and Sungai Melayu where he was briefed on security issues at the Malaysia-Indonesia border.
