Kota Kinabalu - The four states in Borneo, the world`s third largest island, could gain from greater collaboration in agriculture, tourism and conservation because of their geographical and cultural similarities.
Agustin Teras Narang, the governor of Central Kalimantan, said that the different states could complement each other and emerge stronger economically in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Sabah and Sarawak, Kalimantan and Brunei collectively have a population of about 18 million.
Agustin, who is the coordinator of Kalimantan`s four provinces, said it would be useful to study the strengths of the states and later collaborate in several sectors of the economy.
"We can use the synergy among the states to cover any weaknesses we may have and move in a spirit of unity, complementing one another like the European Union," he said at the end of a cultural exploration visit here over the weekend.
He said that Kalimantan`s economic growth stands at 7.6 per cent, higher than Indonesia`s 6.4 per cent, citing recent development in the plantation and mining sectors, and improvements in infrastructure, as contributing factors.
Agustin said Sabah should look into investing in the oil palm and rubber sectors in Kalimantan.
"Local communities should be included in the plantation sector. Eco tourism is another activity the two states can cooperate on, leveraging on our wildlife and rainforests.
"Tourists from Europe, Japan, South Korea and the US come to Kalimantan to cruise rivers and view wildlife. The states should look at air links and offer packages to both destinations."
"Kalimantan is also keen to develop the homestay concept to enable tourists to learn about our culture.
"We have 123 ethnic groups, the main ones being the Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Maanyan, Dayak Lawangan and Dayak Otdanum."
He added Kalimantan was taking steps to end indiscriminate land clearing by plantation owners, whose actions had led to accusations of harming wildlife habitats. By: Jaswinder Kaur
Source:
http://www.nst.com.my (December 8, 2008)