Editing Sabah (section)

== Economy ==
[[File:Desa Dairy Farm-.png|thumb|left|Sabah's [[Desa Cattle Dairy Farm]], dubbed as the little [[New Zealand]] due to the similar scenery view with the latter country.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/read.cfm?NewsID=2004|title=Sabah's own little New Zealand|last=Chin|first=Mary|work=Daily Express|date=23 April 2016|access-date=30 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502163144/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/read.cfm?NewsID=2004|archive-date=2 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/12/652427/little-new-zealand-hit|title='Little New Zealand' a hit|last=Miwil|first=Olivia|work=New Straits Times|date=27 December 2020|access-date=30 January 2025}}</ref>]]
{{Pie chart
| caption=Sabah GDP Share by Sector (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=102&bul_id=VS9Gkp1UUpKQUFWS1JHUnJZS2xzdz09&menu_id=TE5CRUZCblh4ZTZMODZIbmk2aWRRQT09|title=GDP By State (2010–2016)|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|date=6 September 2017|access-date=19 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804081413/https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column%2FcthemeByCat&cat=102&bul_id=VS9Gckp1UUpKQUFWS1JHUnJZS2xzdz09&menu_id=TE5CRUZCblh4ZTZMODZIbmk2aWRRQT09|archive-date=4 August 2018}}</ref>
| label1 = Services
| value1 = 40.8
| color1 = #000080
| label2 = Mining & Quarrying
| value2 = 29.6
| color2 = #008080
| label3 = Agriculture
| value3 = 19.1
| color3 = #008000
| label4 = Manufacturing
| value4 = 7.5
| color4 = #800080
| label5 = Construction
| value5 = 2.6
| color5 = #808000
}}

Sabah's economy is mainly based on [[Primary sector of the economy|primary sector]] such as agriculture, forestry and [[Petroleum industry|petroleum]].<ref name="sbh"/><ref name="eco">{{cite web |url=http://www.sedia.com.my/SDC_Blueprint/Blueprint_Eng/4.IncreaseValueCaptureofSabah'sResourcesinDownstreamManufacturingActivities.pdf |title=(Chapter 4) Increase Value Capture of Sabah's Resources in Downstream Manufacturing Activities |publisher=[[Sabah Development Corridor]] |access-date=29 May 2016 |page=92 (52/4) and 100 (13/24) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529041303/http://www.sedia.com.my/SDC_Blueprint/Blueprint_Eng/4.IncreaseValueCaptureofSabah%27sResourcesinDownstreamManufacturingActivities.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> Currently, the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]] plays an important part to the state economy, especially in tourism and services. With its richness in biodiversity, the state is offering [[ecotourism]]. Although in recent years the tourism industry has been affected by [[Cross border attacks in Sabah|attacks and kidnapping of tourists]] by militant groups based in the southern Philippines, it remained stable with the increase of security in eastern Sabah and the Sulu Sea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businesscircle.com.my/the-resurgence-of-sabahs-tourism-industry/ |title=The resurgence of Sabah's tourism industry |author=Carolyn Hong |publisher=Business Circle |date=27 August 2013 |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529145805/http://www.businesscircle.com.my/the-resurgence-of-sabahs-tourism-industry/ |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> The tourism sector contribute 10% share of the state [[Gross domestic product]] (GDP) and was predicted to increase more.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/18/tourism-to-surpass-current-share-of-sabahs-gdp/ |title=Tourism to surpass current share of Sabah's GDP |author1=Ripin |author2=Raymond |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=18 June 2011 |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529151423/http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/06/18/tourism-to-surpass-current-share-of-sabahs-gdp/ |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> Majority of the tourists come from China (60.3%), followed by [[South Korea]] (33.9%), Australia (16.3%) and [[Taiwan]] (8.3%).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=110020 |title=Impressive rise in tourists to Sabah: Matta |newspaper=Daily Express |date=22 May 2016 |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529183907/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=110020 |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> Tourism plays a crucial role in the state's economy as the third largest income generating sectors with the state itself recorded a total of 3,879,413 tourist arrivals in 2018, a growth of 5.3% compared to 3,684,734 in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/02/19/sabah-hits-record-breaking-tourism-numbers/1724459|title=Sabah hits record-breaking tourism numbers|author=Julia Chan|newspaper=The Malay Mail|date=19 February 2019|access-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326040643/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/02/19/sabah-hits-record-breaking-tourism-numbers/1724459|archive-date=26 March 2019}}</ref> Since the 1950s, [[Natural rubber|rubber]] and [[copra]] are the main source of agricultural economy of North Borneo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-borneo.com/infoborneo/sab-eco.shtml |title=Sabah's Economy in Brief |publisher=e-borneo |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529051720/http://www.e-borneo.com/infoborneo/sab-eco.shtml |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> The timber industry started to emerged in the 1960s due to high demand of raw materials from industrial countries. This was however replaced by petroleum in the 1970s after the discovery of oil in the area of west coast Sabah.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Jeffrey R. Professor Vincent |author2=Rozali Professor Mohamed Ali |title=Managing Natural Wealth: Environment and Development in Malaysia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vEOqb5za-ykC&pg=PT56 |date= 2010 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-52248-2 |page=56}}</ref> In the same year, [[cocoa bean|cocoa]] and [[palm oil]] was added to the list.<ref name="eco"/><ref>{{cite book |author=François Ruf |title=Cocoa Cycles: The Economics of Cocoa Supply |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GUPk9DcmOQwC&pg=PA268 |year=1995 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=978-1-85573-215-5 |page=268}}</ref> The Sabah state government managed to increase the state fund from RM6&nbsp;million to RM12&nbsp;billion and poverty was down by almost half to 33.1% in 1980.<ref name="Lim2008"/> The state rapid development on primary sector has attracted those [[Job hunting|job seekers]] in neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines as the state labour force itself are not sufficient.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Malaysia/Malaysia_MDG_2005.pdf |title=Malaysia – Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (Successes and Challenges) |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |year=2005 |access-date=29 May 2016 |page=11 |isbn=978-983-3055-03-6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529020354/http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Malaysia/Malaysia_MDG_2005.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> The state GDP at the time ranked behind [[Selangor]] and [[Kuala Lumpur]], being the third richest although the manufacturing sector remained small.<ref name="env"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbec.sabah.gov.my/Background/BgSocioEco.htm |title=Socio-Economic Context |work=Bornean Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation |publisher=Sabah State Government |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529021407/http://www.bbec.sabah.gov.my/Background/BgSocioEco.htm |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> However, by 2000, the state started to become the poorest as it still dependent on natural resources as its primary sources of income comparing to those [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] producer states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irbrp.com/static/documents/January/2009/27.Hasnah%20ali.pdf |title=Why Poor Regions Remain Poor? Evidence from Malaysia |author1=Hasnah Ali |author2=Sanep Ahmad |publisher=International Review of Business Research Papers |date=1 January 2009 |access-date=29 May 2016 |page=5/12 (344) |volume=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514075310/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=93465 |archive-date=14 May 2016 }}</ref> Thus the [[Sabah Development Corridor]] (SDC) was established in 2008 by Prime Minister [[Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]] with a total investment of RM105&nbsp;billion for 18 years to increase the state GDP to RM63.2&nbsp;billion by 2025.<ref name="sdc">{{cite web |url=http://www.ukm.my/fep/perkem/pdf/perkem2015/PERKEM_2015_4B1.pdf |title=The Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) |author1=Dullah Mulok |author2=Kasim Mansur |author3=Mori Kogid |work=Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah |publisher=[[Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia]] |year=2015 |access-date=29 May 2016 |issn=2231-962X |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529053525/http://www.ukm.my/fep/perkem/pdf/perkem2015/PERKEM_2015_4B1.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> Around RM5.83&nbsp;billion were allocated each year for infrastructures development along with the creation of 900,000 jobs.<ref name="sdc"/> The federal government targeted to eradicate hardcore poverty by the end [[Ninth Malaysia Plan]] (9MP) with overall poverty halved from 23% in 2004 to 12% in 2010 and 8.1% in 2012.<ref name="sdc"/> Since its establishment in 2008, the state GDP increase to 10.7% which was higher than the national economic growth of 4.8% and the world economic growth of 2.7%. Following the [[Global financial crisis in 2009|world financial crisis in 2009]], Sabah GDP recorded 4.8% growth compared to −1.5% for national level and −0.4% for world level.<ref name="sdc"/>

[[File:Tambunan Sabah Battlefield-Battle-of-Tambunan-02.jpg|thumb|right|[[Paddy field]] in [[Tambunan District]].]]
From 2010 to 2011, the state experienced a slower growth due to weaker performance on the oil and gas sector. Based on 2014 survey, Sabah GDP recorded a 5.0% growth and remained as the largest contributor in agriculture sector with 18.1%, followed by [[Sarawak]], Johor, [[Pahang]] and [[Perak]]. Its [[Income per capita|GDP per capita]] however are still lowest with RM19,672, the third lowest after [[Kelantan]] (RM11,815) and [[Kedah]] (RM17,321) from all 13 states.<ref name="GDP">{{cite web|url=https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/pdfPrev&id=OFN3NkVtT0xGWU1wQ1Y1YnRPNXRUQT09|title=GDP By State (2010–2014)|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|access-date=30 May 2016|page=2 and 5|format=PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804072828/https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column%2FpdfPrev&id=OFN3NkVtT0xGWU1wQ1Y1YnRPNXRUQT09|archive-date=4 August 2018}}</ref> In the same year, the state export value stood at RM45.3&nbsp;billion with an import value of RM36.5&nbsp;billion. Machinery and transportation equipment accounted for most of the imported products followed by fuel, mineral lubricants and others. While Sabah mostly exports raw petroleum and palm oil.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=101309 |title=RM45bil Sabah exports since 2009 |newspaper=Daily Express |date=8 July 2015 |access-date=29 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529185535/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=101309 |archive-date=29 May 2016 }}</ref> The state currently has a total of eight ports with two in [[Sepanggar]] while each one in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Kudat, [[Kunak]] and Lahad Datu that was operated and maintained by the Sabah Ports Authority owned by Suria Group.<ref name="sabah ports">{{cite web |url=http://www.suriagroup.com.my/spsb/ports/ |title=Ports |publisher=Suria Group |access-date=18 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718111340/http://www.suriagroup.com.my/spsb/ports/ |archive-date=18 July 2016 }}</ref> As part of the [[Eleventh Malaysia Plan]] (11MP), the federal government has approved an allocation of RM800&nbsp;million to expand the cargo handling of Sapangar Bay Container Port from 500,000 to 1.25&nbsp;million [[twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEUs]] per annum as well to accommodate larger ship like [[Panamax]]-size vessels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/news/sabah-looks-logistics-growth |title=Sabah looks to logistics for growth |publisher=Oxford Business Group |date=25 March 2016 |access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/04/03/sabah-looks-to-logistics-for-growth/ |title=Sabah looks to logistics for growth |author=Paulius Kuncinas |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=3 April 2016 |access-date=30 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530030603/http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/04/03/sabah-looks-to-logistics-for-growth/ |archive-date=30 May 2016 }}</ref> An additional allocation of RM333.51&nbsp;million was given in the same year, making it a total of RM1.13&nbsp;billion with the project will start in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=106857 |title=Sepanggar Port expansion work to start next year |newspaper=Daily Express |date=17 February 2016 |access-date=4 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704050523/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=106857 |archive-date=4 July 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/bm/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1259314 |title=Kerajaan Tingkatkan Pembiayaan Bagi Pembesaran Pelabuhan Kontena Teluk Sepanggar |trans-title=Government Raises Financing For Sepanggar Coast Container Port Expansion |language=ms |publisher=Bernama |date=28 June 2016 |access-date=4 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704045647/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/bm/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=1259314 |archive-date=4 July 2016 }}</ref> The fisheries industries remain the important part of Sabah primary sector economy with a contribution for about 200,000 metric tonnes of fish worth RM700 annually as well contributing 2.8% to the state annual GDP.<ref name="fishdept"/> While the [[aquaculture]] and marine fish cage sector have produce 35,000 metric tons of [[brackish water|brackish]] and [[fresh water]]s aquaculture and 360 metric ton of [[grouper]]s, [[wrasse]]s, snappers and [[lobster]]s worth around RM60&nbsp;million and RM13&nbsp;million respectively. Sabah is also one of the producer of [[seaweed]], with most of the farms are located in the seas around [[Semporna]].<ref name="fishdept"/> Although recently the seaweed industry was heavily affected by spate of kidnappings perpetrated by the southern-Philippine-based [[Abu Sayyaf]] militant group.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=111349 |title=Seaweed industry dying due to kidnappings |newspaper=Daily Express |date=16 July 2016 |access-date=16 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716110118/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=111349 |archive-date=16 July 2016 }}</ref>

[[File:Sandakan Sabah Fishmarket-in-Sandakan-Harbour-04.jpg|thumb|left|Fishery activities in the harbour of [[Sandakan]].]]
As of 2015, Sabah was producing 180,000 [[barrel of oil equivalent]] per day<ref>{{cite news |title=Exciting year for oil & gas industry |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=95890 |access-date=1 September 2019 |newspaper=Daily Express |date=5 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506085958/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=95890 |archive-date=6 May 2017}}</ref> and currently receives 5% oil royalty (percentage of oil production paid by the mining company to the lease owner) from Petronas over oil explorations in Sabah territorial waters based on the 1974 Petroleum Development Act.<ref name="Lim2008"/><ref name="oxford review">{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/economic_updates/sabah-year-review-2011 |title=Sabah: Year in Review |publisher=Oxford Business Group |year=2011 |access-date=14 November 2012 |archive-date=23 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230335/http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/economic_updates/sabah-year-review-2011 }}</ref> Majority of the oil and gas deposits are located on Sabah Trough basin in the west coast side.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2012/12/borneo-s-petroleum-plays |title=Borneo's Petroleum Plays |author=Sorkhabi Rasoul |magazine=GEO ExPro |year=2012 |access-date=20 November 2015 |volume=9 |issue=4 |quote=A simplified map showing the distribution of major sedimentary basins onshore and offshore Borneo. |archive-date=21 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121030834/http://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2012/12/borneo-s-petroleum-plays }}</ref> Sabah was also given a 10% stake in Petronas [[liquefied natural gas]] (LNG) in [[Bintulu]], Sarawak.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=93465 |title=More oil, gas revenue for Sabah |newspaper=Daily Express |date=16 November 2014 |access-date=14 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514075310/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=93465 |archive-date=14 May 2016 }}</ref> Income inequality and the high cost living remain the major economic issues in Sabah.<ref>{{cite book |author=Shireen Mardziah Hashim |title=Income Inequality and Poverty in Malaysia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lpf1_k8wELYC&pg=PA131 |year=1998 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-8476-8858-6 |page=131}}</ref> The high cost living has been blamed on the Cabotage Policy, although the cause was due to the smaller trade volumes, cost of transport and efficiency of port to handle trade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lpps.sabah.gov.my/?q=content/cabotage-policy-cannot-be-repealed-29-september-2015 |title=Cabotage Policy Cannot Be Repealed |work=The Borneo Post |publisher=Sabah Ports Authority |date=29 September 2015 |access-date=30 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530032631/http://www.lpps.sabah.gov.my/?q=content%2Fcabotage-policy-cannot-be-repealed-29-september-2015 |archive-date=30 May 2016 }}</ref> The government has set to review the Cabotage Policy even thought the cause was due to other reasons with the World Bank has stated that the result was due to weak distribution channels, high handling charges and inefficient inland transportation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/02/16/cabotage-policy-to-be-reviewed-to-bring-down-goods-costs-in-sabah-and-sarawak/ |title=Liow: Cabotage policy to be reviewed to bring down cost of goods in east Malaysia |author1=Muguntan Vanar |author2=Stephanie Lee |work=The Star |date=16 February 2017 |access-date=17 February 2017}}</ref> It was finally agreed to exempt the policy from 1 June 2017; with foreign ships will go directly to ports in the East without need to go to West Malaysia although Cabotage Policy on transshipment of goods within Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan remain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pm-no-more-cabotage-for-sabah-sarawak-and-labuan-from-june |title=PM: No more cabotage for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan from June |newspaper=The Malay Mail |date=7 May 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508045249/http://m.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pm-no-more-cabotage-for-sabah-sarawak-and-labuan-from-june |archive-date=8 May 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/cabotage-law-between-east-and-west-malaysia-to-be-scrapped.html |title=Cabotage law between east and west Malaysia to be scrapped |author=Marcus Hand |publisher=Seatrade Maritime News |date=10 May 2017 |access-date=10 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510155211/http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/cabotage-law-between-east-and-west-malaysia-to-be-scrapped.html |archive-date=10 May 2017 }}</ref> Prime Minister Najib also promised to narrow development gap between Sabah and the [[Peninsular Malaysia|Peninsular]] by improving and built more infrastructures in the state,<ref name="promised">{{cite web |url=http://www.malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/613575-my-vision-is-to-narrow-development-gap-between-sabah-and-pensinsula-najib.html |title=My Vision Is To Narrow Development Gap Between Sabah And Peninsula: Najib |work=Bernama |publisher=Malaysian Digest |date=28 May 2016 |access-date=30 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530034255/http://www.malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/613575-my-vision-is-to-narrow-development-gap-between-sabah-and-pensinsula-najib.html |archive-date=30 May 2016 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> in which it was continued under the [[Pakatan Harapan]] (PH) administration where the new federal government also said the state should develop in par with Peninsular with the federal government will be consistent in commitment to helping develop the state as stated by Deputy Prime Minister [[Wan Azizah Wan Ismail]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://malaysiandigest.com/news/745228-sabah-must-develop-together-with-the-peninsula-wan-azizah.html|title=Sabah Must Develop Together With The Peninsula – Wan Azizah|work=Bernama|publisher=Malaysian Digest|date=1 July 2018|access-date=10 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709180713/http://malaysiandigest.com/news/745228-sabah-must-develop-together-with-the-peninsula-wan-azizah.html|archive-date=9 July 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/07/386224/federal-government-continue-developing-sabah|title=Federal Government to continue developing Sabah|author1=Mohd Izham Unnip Abdullah|author2=Abdul Rahemang Taiming|newspaper=New Straits Times|date=1 July 2018|access-date=10 July 2018}}</ref> Based on a latest record, the total unemployment in the state have been reduced from 5.1% (2014) to 4.7% (2015), although the number of unemployment was still high.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/05/12/sabah-unemployment-rate-down-director/ |title=Sabah unemployment rate down – Director |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=12 May 2016 |access-date=30 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530043453/http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/05/12/sabah-unemployment-rate-down-director/ |archive-date=30 May 2016 }}</ref> [[Slum]] is almost non-existent in Malaysia but due to the [[Refugees of the Philippines|high number of refugees]] arriving from the [[Moro conflict in the Philippines|troubling southern Philippines]], Sabah has since seen a significant rise on its numbers. To eliminate [[water pollution]] and improve a better [[hygiene]], the Sabah state government are working to relocate them into a better housing settlement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/02/16/sabah-aims-to-end-squatter-problem-state-govt-outlines-strategies-to-relocate-them/ |title=Sabah aims to end squatter problem |author=Muguntan Vanar |work=The Star |date=16 February 2016 |access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref> As part of the [[BIMP-EAGA]], Sabah also continued to position itself as a main gateway for regional investments. Foreign investment are mainly concentrated in the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) areas.<ref name="oxford review"/> Although country such as Japan have mainly focusing their various development and investment projects in the interior and islands since after the end of Second World War.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/298463/japanese-economic-interests-in-sabah-after-the-second-world-war |title=Japanese Economic Interests in Sabah after the Second World War |author=Uqbah Iqbal |publisher=Grin |year=2015 |access-date=29 May 2016 |isbn=978-3-656-96933-4}}</ref> Following America's abandonment in the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] (TPPA) economic agreements in early 2017, Sabah began to turns its trade to China and [[India]] markets.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/02/03/sabah-turns-to-china-india/ |title=Sabah turns to China, India |author=Shalina R. |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=3 February 2017 |access-date=4 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204055004/http://www.theborneopost.com/2017/02/03/sabah-turns-to-china-india/ |archive-date=4 February 2017 }}</ref> To further accelerate its economic growth, Sabah also targets several more countries as its main trade partners including [[Germany]], South Korea, Thailand and the [[United Arab Emirates]] as the destinations of exports for [[food]]-based products, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, the United States and New Zealand as the destinations for palm oil and [[logistics]] sector, [[Russia]] as the destination for the oil and gas industry and Japan and Vietnam as the destinations for the [[wood industry|wood-based furniture industry]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/08/07/sabah-targets-several-countries-to-be-trade-partners/ |title=Sabah targets several countries to be trade partners |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=7 August 2019 |access-date=8 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808001236/https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/08/07/sabah-targets-several-countries-to-be-trade-partners/ |archive-date=8 August 2019 }}</ref>