THE State Government will proceed with the Sabah-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said he would inform the Federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry that Sabah will proceed with the programme.
“The State Cabinet has approved the programme for implementation, so we will proceed,” he said during his working visit to the State Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry at Wisma Tun Fuad Stephens, Kota Kinabalu, on June 13.
The Chief Minister also disclosed that a new State Museum would be built in the State Capital following the State Cabinet’s endorsement.
He said State Secretary Datuk Seri Sr Safar Untong has been tasked to chair the committee to find a suitable site and to work out the details.
The current State Museum could only exhibit about 10 per cent of its artefacts while the rest are in storage, he said.
On another note, Hajiji welcomed the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry’s plan to build the Kinarut Cultural Centre to showcase Sabah’s more than 30 diverse cultures and traditions.
The Chief Minister also said that the issue of the Pala’u community’s demolished structures at the Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Semporna will be brought up at the forthcoming State Security Committee meeting.
“We are very concerned. It is not that we don’t sympathise, we do because they are also humans but the areas where they have built their structures are within the Marine Park.
“The security forces have raised their concerns and have advised that these are security-sensitive areas that could be used as transit points for cross-border crimes.
“We will discuss the best way forward including the relocation of the Pala’u people,” Hajiji, who is also Chairman of the State Security Committee,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister was briefed by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew and the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Josie Lai that only one house was burnt during the demolition exercise and it was not done by the enforcement officers.
Also present were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam and Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya, Cabinet ministers, assistant ministers, Safar as well as heads of various departments and agencies under the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.
