‘Some entrusted with duties not up to the mark’: Poon
Published on: Thursday, May 25, 2023
By: Nikko Fabian
.jpg "‘Some entrusted with duties not up to the mark’: Poon")
Poon also said the infrastructure for the supply of electricity and treated water to the community is of absolute importance. - FMT pic
Kota Kinabalu: Tanjong Papat Assemblyman Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung said there appears to be some hiccups in the implementation of the Sabah Maju Sabah (SMJ) initiatives because those in charge of certain portfolios have not been up to the mark when discharging their responsibilities.
“The SMJ theme is definitely good and the way forward since it was launched in March 2021 by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
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“However, there appears to be some hiccups, as those in charge of certain portfolios have not been performing up to the mark,” he said.
He said tourism in Sabah made up almost 10pc of the total income for the State in 2019 compared to 6.8pc elsewhere.
“The pandemic in late 2019 and early 2020 led to the shutting down of our borders to international visitors and almost crippled our economy.
“Those in tourism are facing many challenges. The Ministry should seek new tourism products such as historical tourism, mini sports tourism, food tourism and charity tourism, all targeting at the niche market,” he said.
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“Sandakan, in particular, has many historical aspects with the infamous Death March and the two memorial services by the Anzac in April pre-dawn service and the MPS in August.
“There is a little known post-WW2 Japanese cemetery in Sandakan with rich historical significance. These historical places should be promoted and enhanced,” he opined.
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Poon also said the infrastructure for the supply of electricity and treated water to the community is of absolute importance.
However, he said, the supply of both have been anything except good in recent days.
“Seventy per cent of Sandakan residents have been consuming and using salty treated water for more than half year and this has seriously affected the quality of lives of the residents, including their health.”
According to Poon, businesses have also been adversely impacted.
Similarly, he said, the supply of electricity has been below standard with power outages unknown beforehand by the relevant authorities.
On public transport, Poon said, it needs improvement to cater to the needs of the public and visitors in general.
“There should be more consistent, reliable and affordable transport.
For example, some PPR housing are built in remote areas such as Sungai Manila and Taman Muhibbah in Sandakan, and such housing would not be popular to those needing cheap housing and yet cost much to rely on public transport to commute to and from their place of work. “
Poon said the building of new public facilities according to the needs of each location is good, but this should be followed by annual and regular maintenance to ensure that the facilities do not fail to serve the purpose that they were built for.
“Another very important issue that the Government should pay serious attention to is dengue all over Sabah, with Sandakan being the hardest hit.”
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