KOTA KINABALU: Sabah wants to set up a trade and tourism office in Singapore to promote trade relations with the island republic.

       Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that both Sabah and Singapore had a long history of trade relations and setting up an office there would enhance economic activities.

       Hajiji informed Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon of Sabah's intention during a video call on Monday (June 28).

       "I would also like to invite Singaporean investors to look at opportunities under our Halatuju Sabah Maju Jaya development plan, which focuses on high impact investments, particularly agriculture and tourism," he said.

       In the video call, Hajiji also said they spoke about various issues, including containing the Covid-19 pandemic and measures taken to keep numbers down.

       Singapore is among Sabah's top 10 trading partners with a trade value of RM133mil as at January this year.

       Among the product categories exported to Singapore include palm oil, seafood, crude petroleum and wood products.

       Sabah has recorded more than RM7bil trade with the island republic in 2019 and 2020.