SOOK: Pensiangan Member of Parliament, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, said his constituency is among the areas receiving the highest level of educational development.
“Currently, five schools are under construction. The first is SMK Nabawan, where the Form Six central building and new quarters have reached 60pc completion and are expected to be ready next year.
“The second is SK Rancangan Belia Tiulon, which is under construction. The third is SK Ambual, which is also being built. The fourth is SMK Terus Madi, expected to be completed this year, and the fifth is SMK Dalit, which is also under construction,” he said.
He added that once these new school buildings are completed, they will provide better educational facilities for children in the surrounding areas.
“The development of these five schools reflects my commitment as a people’s representative, prioritising education as a crucial step in driving progress in Sabah’s interior districts,” Arthur said.
Arthur hoped that more development would follow the upgrading of Sook to a full district.
“We hope for increased development and improved services from relevant government departments and agencies,” he said.
He also noted that ongoing and planned development projects contribute to the upgrading of Sook to district status, which was previously classified as a sub-district.
At the event, he announced that Agrobank would open a branch in Pekan Sook by the third quarter of this year.
He said this would enhance banking facilities, strengthen the local economy, and support his efforts to nurture more local entrepreneurs, in line with the district’s various ongoing development projects.
Earlier, Arthur witnessed the handover of Agrobank zakat cheque worth RM30,000 benefiting 300 asnaf in Pensiangan. It was presented by Agrobank’s Chief Risk Officer, Hussein Mullar, to the Administrative Officer of the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains), Haslee Sairin.
Additionally, school aid worth RM19,000 was distributed to 300 students, including school supplies such as school bags.
Arthur, along with Agrobank’s senior management, distributed assistance to the asnaf groups at the event.
Meanwhile, Agrobank President and Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin, said the Ramadan Iftar served as a platform to strengthen communal ties and unity.
“This is the spirit we must nurture and cultivate in a multi-racial and multi-religious country,” he said.
He further noted that the event, attended by 700 people, reflects Agrobank’s aspirations not only as a financial institution supporting the farming community but also as an organisation committed to providing initiatives that benefit local communities socially and economically.
