KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak should have their own carbon policies, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
"Touching on carbon, I take this opportunity to point out that Malaysia's carbon policy is supposed to be put in place this year.
"While every state wishes for this to happen, for Sabah and Sarawak in particular, it is crucial for us to have our own policies because we are geographically separated from Peninsular Malaysia.
"Moreover, issues relating to land and forests constitutionally fall under state jurisdiction.
"Therefore, it is appropriate for us to have our own carbon policies," he said during the opening speech of the convention themed "Protecting Semporna's Marine Environment: Plastic Pollution and Fish Bombing" at the Sabah International Convention Centre here.
Jeffrey, who is also the state agriculture, fisheries and food industries minister, said despite Sabah being blessed with natural resources, it remained the poorest region in the Malaysian federation.
"As Sabahans, we have a choice to make. We can either continue to lament about our situation or rise to the occasion to create our own future instead of always being at the mercy of external and more dominant political or economic forces.
"To move forward strongly, we need to sharpen our innovative thinking skills. We must cultivate an outside-the-box approach to thinking and doing things. This way, we can uncover opportunities to create wealth and prosperity.
"To me, the way forward is by returning to Mother Nature, our source of abundance. Because of this realisation, I cannot stress enough that Sabah's development must be built around the concepts of conservation, regeneration, and circularity.
"One opportunity to achieve this is by building a circular economy, starting with the tonnes of plastic waste in our oceans.
"This is why we are all here today: to explore how we can address two of the most devastating issues affecting our oceans and communities — plastic pollution and fish bombing.
"I understand that local organisations like BluHope have been working hard to establish a supply chain where plastic waste released into the environment is captured and turned into valuable products, such as new construction materials.
"This is a simple yet brilliant idea. I believe that when scaled up, it can significantly contribute to Sabah's gross domestic product (GDP)."
Jeffrey added that if the circular economy strategy were realised, it could incentivise communities, particularly the Bajau Laut, to become guardians of Sabah's seas and the wider Coral Triangle.
"If we can achieve this, I see no reason why Sabah could not become the first to empower a marginalised group as champions of ocean conservation and protection — an ocean that benefits all of humanity," he said.