Kota Kinabalu: A growing water supply deficit in Kota Belud, now short by about 4.4 million litres daily, emerged as the key concern raised by Tempasuk Assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari.
He told the State Assembly that the district’s three water treatment plants – Kota Belud town, Bayayat and Pandasan – currently produce about 43 million litres per day against a demand of about 47.4 million litres. He urged immediate plans to boost supply including studies for mini dams at Babagon river and Takutan Rosok river.
Mohd Arsad said the proposal could also support irrigation for padi fields and unlock small-scale hydroelectric potential, while stressing the need to resolve electricity connection delays caused by cable shortages, especially for new homes.
On cost of living pressures amid global geopolitical uncertainties and rising oil prices, he called for a comprehensive state response plan focusing on strategic food reserves, real-time price monitoring, stronger local supply chains and reduced reliance on imports.
He also welcomed the expansion of the Rahmah Madani Sales Programme to 600 State constituencies, including Tempasuk, and urged closer coordination to widen its reach to more communities.
Highlighting Sabah’s low rice self-sufficiency rate of around 20 to 25 per cent, he proposed increasing it to between 30 and 40 per cent within five years, alongside raising poultry and egg production to 80 per cent through mechanisation, smart farming and high-yield varieties.
He backed the government’s padi revolution and biotechnology initiatives, as well as the Kitchen Garden Programme under the Rural Economic Revolution (RAER) 2026-2030.
He suggested expanding it from household to community scale with structured collection and marketing systems to reduce waste and boost farmers’ income.
Mohd Arsad also proposed a housing repair scheme for low-income families living in ageing inherited homes that are increasingly unsafe but too costly to fix, despite the State’s move to increase SMJ housing quotas to 50 units per constituency from 2026.
On sports, he called for urgent upgrades to the ageing Botong Sports Complex hall in Kota Belud, built in 1982 and widely used by the community, as well as the construction of an athletes’ hostel and installation of floodlights to support local talent development.
He further highlighted infrastructure needs, including upgrading village roads from Kg Rinig, Taman Morul Tempasuk to SK Tempasuk 2, and proposed a new road linking Mukim Taun Gusi to Kota Belud town via Mukim Gunding.
He also welcomed the Pirasan-Kinasaraban road project as a potential alternative route during floods and urged attention to rural bridge upgrades, including Tindud bridge in Bangkahak-Tempasuk and the Topuh river concrete bridge in Kg Bugaron.
Turning to rural economic potential, he proposed developing freshwater aquaculture involving species such as tilapia, patin and “puyu kukum”, with youth and local entrepreneurs as key drivers to generate income, jobs and strengthen food security.
Mohd Arsad also stressed the importance of strengthening the capacity of Sabah’s civil service, proposing enhanced training in public policy, economics, data analysis, artificial intelligence, strategic communication and digital governance to match federal-level administrative standards.
He expressed appreciation to the State leadership, ministers and civil servants for their continued commitment, and reiterated his full support for the government’s policy direction, emphasising that effective implementation is key to ensuring benefits reach the rakyat.