BELURAN: The Beluran District Council is urged to come up with a comprehensive five to 10-year development blueprint to ensure Sabah’s largest district does not become the State’s “biggest forgotten gem”.
Beluran Chinese Chamber of Commerce President Tsen Kin En (pic) said the blueprint should cover key areas such as industrial park planning, agricultural product processing, ecotourism infrastructure, roads and transportation, water and electricity supplies, and digital and telecommunications infrastructure.
It would not only help clarify Beluran’s future development direction, but also provide a basis for the government to assess project priorities, prepare budgets and implement development plans in stages.
“The district must be prepared to capitalise on development opportunities arising from Federal and State Government allocations, particularly for rural and semi-urban infrastructure.
“In fact, the Federal Government had repeatedly emphasised the improvement of basic infrastructure in rural and semi-urban areas in its budgets, presenting both a significant opportunity and a challenge for Beluran,” he said in a statement.
Welcoming the Federal Government’s continued increase in allocations for Sabah under the budget, Tsen said Sabah received RM6.9 billion in development allocations in 2026, with the amount increasing to RM18.7 billion in 2027, which demonstrates that the Federal Government is taking Sabah’s development gap seriously and is committed to promoting development in the State.
“Despite the Beluran’s vast land area and its abundant natural resources, extensive oil palm plantations and potential for ecotourism and the blue economy, the district continued to face shortcomings in basic infrastructure that constrained economic growth and investment.
“These included inadequate road networks, unstable water and electricity supplies, insufficient telecommunications coverage, and high transportation and logistics costs for agricultural produce.
“Hence, the Chamber is appealing the Federal and State Governments to ensure development resources are distributed fairly, taking into account the geographical size, population distribution, infrastructure requirements and economic potential of individual districts,” he said.
He said the Chamber urged the governments to increase infrastructure investment in Beluran, including upgrading connecting routes to the Pan Borneo Highway and rural roads, improving water and electricity supply reliability, and expanding telecommunications and digital connectivity.
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