PEOPLE travelling between the Interior and East Coast of Sabah will have another alternative road to use once the RM300 million road project linking Tongod in Sandakan and Sinaron, Keningau in the Interior Division is completed.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Works Minister, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin announced about this project after he attended a briefing on Kinabatangan infrastructure development at the Kinabatangan District Council on Jan 5, saying this project will be launched after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year.
“This well-paved and well-built road network will certainly be a catalyst for the economy of the surrounding residents and it can connect Ranau, Kota Kinabalu, Kinabatangan and Pensiangan districts,” he said, adding this is also among the road construction projects to be constructed in Tongod.
Bung, who is also Lamag Assemblyman and Kinabatangan MP, also urged people statewide not to build houses or any structural premises on road reserves.
Bung said residents whose houses are affected by the Pan Borneo project around Kinabatangan were provided a piece of land to rebuild their homes.
Bung also advised residents of Kg Pengkalan Bukit Garam in Kinabatangan to relocate as the village is no longer safe to occupy, saying a new area has been prepared for the affected residents.
He said the matter was decided by the Security Committee and the Kinabatangan District Council not long ago to resolve the Kg Pengkalan Bukit Garam squatters issue.
“The Government has prepared a new site for the residents of this village. However, some of them are reluctant to evacuate and thus face risks especially when there is a major flood.
The day before that (Jan 4), after listening to a briefing on Tongod’s development by its District Officer Mohd Fauzi Norbeh at Tongod District Office, Bung also announced that the construction of the sports complex here that was stalled since 2018 will proceed.
Bung has also announced on Jan 7 the State Government through the Sabah Water Department is working to ensure that Sabahans can enjoy treated water supply with the implementation of various impactful projects.
He said for example, in Lahad Datu several projects had been planned to increase the capacity of treated water supply because the water treatment plants in Sepagaya and Segama were not sufficient to meet consumer demand.
“The existing plant only has a maximum capacity of 56 million litres of water per day while the water supply requirement has increased to 91 million litres.
“So among the projects under implementation is the Dewata area rural water supply project (BALB) with a design capacity of three million litres per day and it is expected to be ready this year.
“Apart from that, the construction of the New Water Treatment Plant with a design capacity of 60 million litres per day is expected to be completed in 2023.
He also requested that the allocation for the implementation of the Pan Borneo Highway Phase One project in Sabah be expedited as many roads were badly damaged due to continuous rain.
“Currently, the allocation used is from the infra allocation of RM1 billion and that allocation can only complete two of the 22 Pan Borneo packages announced.
“This means that it will take another 20 years to complete the other 20 packages,” he said, adding the State Government had previously agreed for the project to be implemented through a private financing initiative.
On Jan 6, Bung disclosed that his Ministry is contemplating imposing sewerage maintenance service charges to keep the sewerage system in top shape.
He said an Act would be introduced to allow the State Government to combine water and sewerage fees.
“People’s awareness of the necessity of sewerage is still low, despite the fact that effective sewerage can safeguard public health,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sewage Treatment Plant and Sewerage Pipeline Construction Project in Bandar Sandakan, Sandakan.
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