RANAU: Dozens of residents of Kg Kimarahang here breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the green light for the establishment of a new settlement in an agricultural land.
The villagers’ original housing area was involved in the Pan Borneo Highway project.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister-cum-Paginatan Assemblyman, Datuk Abidin Madingkir, had officiated the new housing area.
“We are grateful that the Department of Agriculture finally allowed the residents affected by the Pan Borneo Highway to build houses in Kg Tampios.
“This land had been gazetted specifically to help the residents of Kg Kimarahang. Although the gazettement is conditional, this shows that the Government is serious about solving the people’s problems.
“As your people’s representative, it is my responsibility to listen and act to solve your problems, especially in the Paginatan DUN,” Abidin said when officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Sungai Liwagu riverside, Kg Tampios.
Meanwhile, Native Chief (KAN) Dualis Porodtong also shed light on the background of the land area identified as a new settlement site for the affected residents.
He said the area, which is approximately three acres, was an Agricultural Station that operated in the 1980s but had been neglected of late.
“There was an effort by the village, through the Chairman of the JKKK Kg Tampios, to apply for this area to be made into a village reserve land. However, the application did not receive approval from the Agriculture Department and Ranau Land Department.
“Finally, with the help of our Datuk Abidin Madingkir, the land was gazetted as a temporary settlement for the residents of Kg Kimarahang who lost their village land because it was included in the Pan Borneo Highway Project.
“With the gazettement, 19 families can breathe a sigh of relief because they now have a land to build new houses,” he said.
Village Head Nursakila Abdullah expressed her appreciation to Abidin for his efforts in obtaining the Agricultural Land Area as a new settlement site.
A representative of the residents, Bansun Igam, also expressed his gratitude to Abidin for his efforts to realise the residents’ dream of getting a new housing site.
“It has at least solved our problem of getting a new housing site. Although the area was gazetted as temporary, we are grateful to have received it, especially for those of us who do not have private land.
“However, we are requesting assistance from Datuk to donate zinc roofs so we can start building our house,” he said.
Bansun called on all residents of Kg Kimarahang and Kg Tampios to give their unwavering support to the Assemblyman.
Meanwhile, on the zinc roof and tank requests, Abidin said he will submit the applications to the Pan Borneo contractors and hoped they can help through their CSR programme.
In the ceremony, he also officiated the Kg Tampios hall’s mini kitchen.
Also present were ADO Florencia Padasian, PPM Hishamudin Harun, Datuk Abidin Madingkir’s Special Officer, Juis Konsuling, CDO Jipili Sigal, Head of Wiranita Star Paginatan, Siti Nurjana Abas, Head of Wiramuda Star Paginatan, Hillary Salmoen and surrounding village leaders.
