Security a top concern: MICCI
Published on: Thursday, August 25, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Security in the State is among the main concerns of all members of the Malaysia International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Sabah Branch.Its Chairman, Datuk Tan Cheng Kiat said, he hoped the initiatives announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to boost security and public confidence in the security forces will be implemented with utmost commitment."Some of these measures include the launching of a mobile application to allow users to report crimes in real time throughout the country as well as increased police personnel in crime-prone areas.
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"But when we talk about peace and security in Sabah, we need to talk about border security," he said during MICCI Sabah Branch's annual luncheon, here, on Tuesday.The luncheon was also attended by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.To effectively protect the borders off the shores of Sabah, Tan said, the security forces will need to seriously upgrade their defensive assets in order for them to carry out their duties properly."We would further implore the government to request for another naval base in Sandakan to better safeguard our waters in the East Coast."
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Another key issue raised by MICCI Sabah Branch is human capital development in the State."Every year, there will be more than 40,000 SPM school leavers in Sabah. Many of these will continue to pursue further studies either locally or abroad but a sizeable number of around 15,000 school leavers will try to enter the job market.
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"However, more often than not, they simply do not have the requisite skills to find meaningful jobs, especially those living in the rural areas," he said.According to him, a study showed that 70 per cent of these school leavers did not continue their studies mainly due to financial problems."We would like to appeal to the State Government to help this group of school leavers by making skills training programmes in targeted sectors such as agriculture, construction and service more accessible to them."This will in the long term help to reduce our dependency on foreign workers in the State."Besides, we would also encourage the private sector to take the initiative to adopt outreach programmes, taking in school leavers and mentor them so that they can acquire the right skills and perhaps even to find job placements for them at the end of their training."The other key issue mentioned by Tan is the need to update the State's strata laws.He said, with the rapid increase in high-rise buildings in Sabah, legislations on the timely issuance of strata titles and the management of common properties in stratified buildings must in turn be brought up to date to cope with emerging needs."Already in the peninsula, the Strata Titles Act 2013 and Strata Management Act 2013 which came into effect in June 2015 have made major strides in this direction."It would be important that similar if not better laws are put in place for Sabah in the near future. We understand through media reports, the relevant laws are already being reviewed by the government."Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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