The Sabah government has asked the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) to help three of the poorest districts in the state, Pitas, Kota Marudu and Tongod.

KKDW Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor had asked for assistance in the form of rural projects, infrastructures and facilities.

“This is a new gamechanger for the State Government and we at KKDW will surely implement,” he said to the media after attending the coordination meeting held at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) on Wednesday.

Ahmad Zahid said that they would discuss the matter with the Economy Ministry and the Finance Ministry so that the aspiration of the State Government to take the three districts out from the poorest list is materialized.

He said that also discussed was food security and the creation of a paddy estate in Sabah to allow the state to produce paddy for domestic consumption.

He added that it is up to the State Government to decide on the location and size of the area to be developed as paddy estate.

Ahmad Zahid also said that FELCRA has the modality to implement such a project whereby the villagers will be involved as shareholders in the estate and will receive dividend when the breakeven point is reached.

In addition, the villagers will also serve as the manpower at the estate, he said.

Also present were Hajiji, State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Sabah Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, Sabah Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim, Federal Deputy Rural and Regional Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, KKDW Chief Secretary Dato Sri Ramlan Dato Harun and Sabah State Secretary, Datuk Seri Panglima Safar Untong.

Hajiji is confident development programmes and projects under the KKDW for Sabah will be implemented systematically and quickly.

He said that Sabah is among the largest states in Malaysia that needs support and help from the Federal Government in developing basic infrastructure facilities and utilities such as water supply, electricity, rural roads, communication network and others.

“Basic infrastructure and utility facilities are needed by Sabah since the state is left behind in these aspects particularly in rural areas,” he said.

“The KKDW led by the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has taken the initiative to come down to ensure programmes and projects by the ministry in Sabah are implemented systematically and swiftly,” he said at the KKDW coordination meeting.

Hajiji welcomed the coordination meeting which was held for the first time, stating that it can strengthen the cooperation between the Sabah State Government and the KKDW in ensuring the efficient implementation of development programmes under the ministry in Sabah.

He said that the Sabah Government welcomes the proposal from the Prime Minister and the Central Government that federal projects worth RM50 million and below are to be under the responsibility of the State Government to implement utilising local specialists and monitored by the relevant ministry.

He said that the Sabah government will cooperate with the Federal Government, particularly KKDW, on matters related to development so that development projects for the wellbeing of the people can be implemented speedily.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by JENNE LAJIUN

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