Published on: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 |
Kota Kinabalu: A special route will be established soon for local fishermen living along Sepanggar Bay to access the open sea so that they do not encroach into the shipping lanes of Sabah Port Sdn Bhd.
Industrial Development Assistant Minister Jainab Ahmad said she hoped to resolve the fishermen's plight at a meeting between Sabah Port, Sepanggar Naval Base and City Hall.
It was learnt that fishermen there have been in a dilemma since the company disallowed them from using their lanes.
On the other hand, if they misjudged their navigation, they risked encroaching into the Naval Base sea routes.
"So, we hope to resolve the fishermen's problem through the meeting," she said when met after presenting Raya goodies to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sabah branch office in Likas.
Present was MMEA's head for Sabah and Labuan, First Admiral Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar.
There was a suggestion that wooden poles be erected to establish the route for the fishermen so that they don't trespass into the Sabah Port and Naval Base lanes.
Jainab said she would discuss with the relevant parties on how best to solve the fishermen's woes.
On other developments, she won the Umno Wanita Karambunai post uncontested.
To a question, she said although the Wanita wing here supported the movement's power transition between Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Vice Chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, they hoped the handover would be take place before June next year.
"Rafidah was very wise and matured to have made the decision for the continuity of the movement.
"But we hope the transition would be speeded up," she said.
She said any contest for the top two posts would only weaken the movement and cause a split among the members.
She hoped Wanita members would respect the transition plan set to take place in June 2009.
Conveying her Hari Raya message to people in her constituency, Jainab said they must never take for granted the prevailing unity and peace.
"We must strive to conserve and protect the peace we have enjoyed for so long," she said.
Meanwhile, she thanked the Sepanggar Naval Base for employing more than 1,200 locals at the base, thus reducing the rate of unemployment and poverty.
