Premier: Borneo Economic Community to transcend borders, position island as ASEAN nerve centre

Abang Johari speaks during the ASEAN Sarawak Business and Economic Forum 2026 on Feb 12, 2026. Photo credit: Sarawak Information Department (Japen)

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Feb 12: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg today said efforts are underway to establish a Borneo Economic Community (BEC) as a cross-border platform to jointly develop the island and position it as a nerve centre of ASEAN.

He said the idea was among the key proposals he had raised during the Indonesian Economic Summit (IES) 2026 earlier this month.

“At that forum, I suggested that Borneo, as the third largest island, is also located at the centre of ASEAN.

“With our counterparts on the other side, including the Indonesian Business Council (IBC), we are working together to establish what we call the Borneo Economic Community (BEC) that transcends borders,” he said when speaking at the ASEAN Sarawak Business and Economic Forum 2026 held at Hilton Hotel here today.

Abang Johari said Borneo has a combined population of about 20 million people and is rich in biodiversity and natural resources, giving it strong fundamentals for integrated development.

“We work together to develop Borneo–with a population of about 20 million and rich in biodiversity and natural resources–for us to become the nerve of ASEAN,” he added.

On Feb 3, Abang Johari when delivering his keynote address at the IES 2026, commended the IBC’s initiative to revive the BEC, stating that today’s economic environment gives renewed relevance to this vision.

“The BEC’s presence will bring the Borneo family together, reaffirming our collective destiny and deep sense of regional kinship.

“Through this platform, Borneo’s development and strategic location can be translated into meaningful economic value,” he said in his speech text. – DayakDaily