Consider extra allocation for rural projects: Nabawan rep
Published on: Thursday, July 11, 2024
By: Hayati Dzulkifli
Ghani said more funding be given to rural projects that provide basic amenities or infrastructure that benefit villagers.
THE State Government should consider additional spending to finance rural projects that bring good and great impact on the rural communities, said Nabawan Assemblyman Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin.
He said more funding be given to rural projects that provide basic amenities or infrastructure that benefit villagers.
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“For example, on the issue of supplying clean water, the government can do research to explore tube well systems and gravity pipes that can be developed in rural areas to overcome insufficiency of water and as an effort to ensure the rural communities get clean water supply.
“But my question is whether the government has done a research or carried out a study according to the suitability of each district and state seat (DUN) that aims to develop these alternative supply proposals?” he said.
Abdul Ghani, who is also Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) Chairman, said when debating the Supplementary Supply Bill (2024) tabled by the State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun at State Legislative Assembly.
He said the Government should allocate a certain amount of funds to maintain or upgrade former logging roads, which have now become the main access roads for rural communities particularly in the interior.
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He said such roads have become main routes for the villagers and a necessity as they could not wait for the government to provide proper roads to them.
“The proof is that in my own constituency where there some villagers cannot wait long for the basic amenities to be provided to them and also because they have been patient for so long.
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They chose to sacrifice and work together to repair the access roads that do not have organised drainage system and would be slippery during the monsoon season.
“When there is flooding, it would be difficult for all types of vehicles to pass through the roads. This includes repairing dilapidated wooden bridges that the villagers need to cross to other villages.
“Seeing this situation, I feel very sad and I request that this matter be looked into and refined by the State Government so that there are additional provision for the purpose of dealing with these issues,” he said.
On the issue of electricity supply and internet network, Abdul Ghani said he had voiced these vital issues in previous sittings of the State Legislative Assembly.
He would continue to do so as long as these issues remained unresolved.
Following this, he said he proposed that the government examine and double alternative power supply projects in rural areas such as allocating a certain amount of funds to finance solar energy projects or provide generator sets in remote villages that had no electricity supply.
On basic internet network, he said there are still many areas in Nabawan that have yet to enjoy this facility,
“What is the current status of our Rural Electricity Supply (BELB) and Jendela (National Digital Network) projects? Are these projects still going ahead or how?” he said.
On food security through agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, Abdul Ghani said it would be a wise move for the government to enable government agencies that play a role to develop and boost small-scale and simple agricultural activities such as Additional Economic Activity (AET) projects.
He said implementing AET could generate the people’s income and to some extent increase the commodity yield of Sabah.
He said AET is not exclusively for rural people to venture into but communities in the suburbs and cities could also be given the opportunity to explore AET.
“For example, hydroponic farming of vegetables, kelulut honey farming, fish farming and shrimp farming, among others.
“This is a wise action for the government to give opportunities to government-linked companies (GLCs) or Statutory Bodies that can implement the government’s development projects by giving them additional allocations for the benefit of the people.
“It is my hope that the relevant ministries can work together with government agencies to explore this field, because it will not only contribute to the food security but also open up small business opportunities and increase the people’s income,” Abdul Ghani said.
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