Poor infrastructure behind high unemployment, poverty in Sabah, says DCM

 

Bung Moktar Radin said the Sabah government wants Putrajaya to expedite the work packages in order to speed up the completion of the Pan Borneo Highway.

SANDAKAN: The infrastructure in Sabah is still at an unsatisfactory level, making it difficult for the state government to attract large investors and thus create more job opportunities.

Deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin said this is one of the main reasons behind high unemployment and poverty rates in the state.

He added that the state government was sensitive to the situation where the completion of infrastructure projects, especially the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, is an important effort to attract investors and further stimulate the state’s economic development.

“Several investors came to us (the state government) to invest billions of ringgit in Sabah, but we could not realise it due to the lack of electricity and water supply as well as poor road conditions.

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“However, we will not let these problems continue,” he told reporters after officiating the state-level rehabilitation aspiration programme here last night.

Bung Moktar, who is state works minister, was asked to comment on the latest economic report which states that Sabah has one of the highest unemployment and poverty rates in the country.

The Kinabatangan MP said that the state government had also asked Putrajaya to increase the number of work packages for the highway construction project for implementation next year in order to speed up the completion of the Pan Borneo Highway.

“If it can be implemented next year, then in three years this road will continue to improve, and following that, we can also think about the development of water resources and electricity,” he added.

On the rehabilitation aspiration programme, Bung Moktar said the efficiency of the security forces and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) in controlling the country’s borders had successfully eradicated the problem of drug trafficking, especially in eastern Sabah.

Meanwhile, asked about steps to be taken to address crocodile attacks in Sabah, especially in his parliamentary constituency, Bung Moktar said he was aware that such attacks were now becoming more rampant.

“Perhaps, they are facing a food shortage and are now coming out and starting to prey on humans. We don’t know. Even though there is no official headcount, every night along the banks of Sungai Kinabatangan, you will see so many pairs of eyes when you shine a torch on the water,” he said.

He added that the state tourism, culture and environment ministry has invited anyone interested in catching these crocodiles to forward an application to the ministry. - FMT