Include views of local leaders in development plans for Kalabakan: YB
Published on: Saturday, May 27, 2023
“We do not want Kalabakan to be isolated far from this road network where people just pass through,” Hassan said.
Kota Kinabalu: Sebatik Assemblyman Datuk Hassan A Gani Pg Amir said development plans in Kalabakan must include the views and suggestions of local leaders and the community at the grassroots level.
He said this in reference to the proposed construction of the new road network that begins at the international land border entrance in Batu Sempadan 485 Serudong, Kalabakan which borders Simanggaris.
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“We do not want Kalabakan to be isolated far from this road network where people just pass through,” he said when debating the Head of State’s policy speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting.
He said that because the construction would be located within Kalabakan, it was crucial that the district’s residents reap the economic and social benefits of the project.
He also talked about the importance of educating students in modern subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Stem) and technical and vocational education and training (TVET), as well as the need for a more rigorous education system and various capacity development initiatives in Kalimatan-Sabah.
Since Kalimantan is where the new Indonesian capital would be located, the government of Malaysia has pinpointed four major entry points: Sebatik Island, Serudong, Bantul, and Long Pasia.
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There are roughly 178,691 people living in 83 villages within a 10-kilometre radius of the border between Malaysia (Sabah) and Indonesia (Kalimantan), according to statistics. Sebatik is in this area, he said.
“We need to recognise that the people who live in the border area are community buffers who, once the entry gate begins operating, become an economic strengthening agent for Sabah and Malaysia.
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“In light of this new responsibility and challenge, it is crucial that the state government enact a strategy of transformation for border residents. This has important implications for the integration of STEM learning with TVET expertise.
“Many different types of employment will open up if the southern border of Sabah (particularly the border between Sebatik and Tawau) is connected to Nusantara City and the Kalimantan region.
“It is certain that the pattern and trend of this job will be in line with the development of IR 4.0, which demands a lot of STEM and TVET skills,” he said.
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