KOTA KINABALU: Tanjung Aru Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) committee member Dr. Ritchie Jay Cheng has proposed replicating Tuaran’s cockle farming model in Pulau Gaya to boost local incomes and support coastal tourism.
He said the initiative, alongside seafood processing and solar energy adoption, could provide jobs, empower youth, and address long-standing power issues on the island.
During a handover of 50 life jackets to licensed fishermen on Sunday, Ritchie noted many still go to sea without proper safety gear, adding that this was their first donation initiative.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});He said the plan aligns with the Sabah Blue Economy Council’s goal to develop fisheries and tourism sustainably, while improving livelihoods for local communities.
On politics, he confirmed Tanjung Aru Gagasan Rakyat’s support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ahead of the next state election, stating the division has over 90 active branches.