Cooking oil sites identified
Published on: Sunday, July 21, 2019
By: JohanAziz
TAMBUNAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pic) said five areas in the state have been identified for the Cooking Oil Production Industry involving Benta Wawasan and Sawit Kinabalu. They include Keningau, Kalabakan, Sandakan and Lahad Datu with a cost of RM5 million.
“I will launch this industry in the near future in these areas,” he told a press conference after opening the RM200m Community College which cost RM20 million, Saturday.
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Shafie said the two approaches used were cooking oil used in the market with subsidies while cooking oil was used in barter trade with neighboring countries namely Indonesia and the Philippines.
He also thanked the Education Ministry which has been working on the success of the RM20 million Community College building, here.
He is confident that the college would enable youth from rural areas to acquire knowledge in the certain fields required by the industry.
Regarding the potential of this district, Shafie said in terms of ginger cultivation that the commodity had a good market not only in Sabah and peninsula but the international market.
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“We import vegetables from abroad including from Indonesia and Thailand. I understand that ginger here is of high quality and so is the bamboo.
“I am confident that Tambunan has potential with ginger and I think this industry will cost around RM5 million and we will make sure this industry will help us.
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“I will ask the Minister of Agriculture to look at the best way for us realise it but must benefit from the involvement of locals.
“I’ve seen a gift given as souvenir to me, a saxophone not made of iron but bamboo and I understand it sounds good enough. I have not tried yet, I cannot play saxophone. Only the guitar.
“I’m convinced that not only the saxophone can be produced from bamboo but the guitar can also be produced by using existing bamboo in addition chop sticks and toys. Maybe it’s time for the bamboo industry to develop in this district,” he said.
He has also seen Sipitang’s ability to produce bamboo and believe that Tambunan is not one who does not know a well-known district in terms of bamboo production and I am sure its soil has potential for this crop.
Shafie said this also enabled rural youth and the communities here to get jobs and will ensure the Ministry of Agriculture and the Industrial Ministry to look into this situation to enable the industry to be developed.
Earlier, Shafie had conducted a groundbreaking ceremony of the Tambunan Native Court which cost RM6 million at Kg Goliung.
Shafie said the Native Court was a fairly good effort to enable the local community to not depend on District Office which was so crowded with various affairs.
Shafie requested that the building be user friendly. It’s not just a building that looks pretty but sometimes people with disabilities go up the stairs are difficult.
He said those who would be in this court may be up to 90 years old so if the building stairs are too high it would be difficult for them.
According to him, in the 12th Malaysia Plan, the Government has planned to build 10 Native Courts in the state and from that number six are ready and only four are to be built including Tambunan, Ranau, Semporna and Papar.
He hoped that these fo ur Native Court buildings will be realized on this RMK 12.
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Present at the ceremony were Infrastructure Development Minister ,Datuk Peter Anthony, Rural Development Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, Laws and Native Affairs Minister, Datuk Aidi Moktar, former Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, District Officer, Jumain Abdul Ghani, heads of state and federal government departments, political leaders and community leaders.