By Daniel John Jambun, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) takes note of the announcement that Sabah has the potential to become one of Malaysia’s major onion production hubs by 2030 through the MARDI Shallot Seed Production Project in Kundasang.
We welcome efforts to strengthen Sabah’s agricultural sector.
However, Sabahans also deserve honest economic realities — not merely optimistic headlines.
1. THE MAIN QUESTION IS SIMPLE: CAN SABAH COMPETE?
For decades, Malaysia imported onions because imported onions were cheaper.
This is basic economics.
Countries such as India, China, Pakistan and Thailand produce onions on a massive scale with:
lower production costs,
larger farming ecosystems,
cheaper labour,
established supply chains,
and economies of scale.
Sabah farmers already struggle with:
high logistics costs,
expensive transportation,
inconsistent infrastructure,
labour shortages,
rising fertiliser costs,
and market instability.
Therefore, Sabahans are justified in asking:
Will this project become commercially sustainable? Or will it become another subsidised showcase project that cannot compete in the open market?
2. FOOD SECURITY IS IMPORTANT — BUT ECONOMIC VIABILITY MATTERS
BoPiMaFo agrees that reducing dependence on imports is strategically important, especially after global supply chain disruptions exposed Malaysia’s vulnerability.
But food security slogans alone are not enough.
The Government must explain:
the actual production cost per kilogram,
whether Sabah onions can compete with imports,
who will buy the produce,
whether farmers can make sustainable profits,
and whether long-term subsidies will be required.
Without economic viability, ambitious agricultural announcements risk becoming temporary political publicity rather than genuine transformation.
3. SABAH MUST STOP BECOMING A TESTING GROUND FOR SHORT-LIVED PROJECTS
Sabahans have seen many “high-potential” projects over the decades:
agriculture schemes,
downstream industries,
industrial corridors,
food security programmes,
and rural transformation promises.
Many were launched with excitement.
Many quietly faded later.
Sabah cannot afford another cycle of: announcement → publicity → pilot project → silence.
If Putrajaya is serious, then there must be:
transparent targets,
measurable outcomes,
market studies,
farmer protection mechanisms,
and long-term accountability.
4. THE REAL ISSUE IS NOT WHETHER ONIONS CAN GROW — IT IS WHETHER SABAHANS BENEFIT
BoPiMaFo does not dispute that onions can be cultivated in Kundasang’s climate.
The real issue is whether Sabahans themselves will truly benefit economically.
Will local farmers control the value chain? Will local entrepreneurs gain access to markets? Will Sabah build its own agro-processing capability? Or will Sabah merely become another raw production zone while others capture the profits?
Sabah has abundant land, climate diversity and agricultural potential.
What Sabah lacks is not potential.
What Sabah lacks is a development model that consistently prioritises Sabahans over political announcements.
“Sabah does not need agricultural propaganda. Sabah needs sustainable agricultural economics.”
