BIMP-EAGA Business Council Sabah Chapter has rendered its support to the state's decision to have a new port in Kudat.

According to its chairman, Datuk Roselan Johar Mohammed, this was due to Kudat's strategic location for transhipment cargo to Sabah's eastern ports, Palawan, Zamboanga, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

"So if this new port is also equipped with container handling features, the better it becomes" he said.

He also said most of the Indonesian outer ports had only one berth but very well equipped for container handling.

However, he said they had no knowledge as to whether this new port was going to be in Kudat or around Kota Marudu.

"The old port of Kudat can be used for passenger terminals for the numerous inter-island runs.”

He said if the port would be located in Kota Marudu, then the entire hinterland stretching from Pitas to Paitan until Tongud and Beluran would equally benefit.

"These are agricultural areas and commercial exportation may become possible.

"We can always assume that when there is a new port, there will also be new roads and upgrading of older ones.

The ease of mobility will spur more economic development. The population will increase with new skills and new opportunities and nobody can complain of being jobless, which again will be good for the Sabah government" he said.