SANDAKAN: Security and economic interests are the main concerns over a proposal to revive barter trade between Sabah and the southern Philippines, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Sabah Chief Minister said no decision on the matter would be made without a thorough assessment.

"Many parties have submitted proposals. All aspects will be taken into account, especially in terms of security and its benefits to our state economy and traders," he said when met during his working visit in Pulau Langkayan on Tuesday (May 5).

He said the matter would be brought to the Sabah's security council and development action council and any potential revival must ensure economic gains do not come at the expense of safety.

The issue was raised during the recent state assembly sitting, where Sungai Manila assemblyman Datuk Hazem Mubarak Musa urged the government to reconsider the barter trade system as a way to revive Sandakan's economy.