KUALA LUMPUR: The establishment of the National Science Centre (PSNCS) Sabah branch, which was proposed to be built in Kampung Laya-Laya, Tuaran, Sabah, cannot proceed due to several key factors.
According to the Science, Technology, and Innovation (Mosti) Ministry, one of the main reasons the centre, which was planned to be built on a 20-acre plot, could not proceed was due to the location being less strategic.
“In addition, the low population density and lack of basic infrastructure have made the project difficult to implement.
“The high cost of infrastructure construction was also a challenge, as road access to the site is still unavailable,” he said.
The Ministry said this in a written response to a non-oral question submitted by Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau (Upko – Tuaran) to the Dewan Rakyat.
In his question, Madius asked Mosti to clarify the status of the proposed National Science Centre (PSN) that was planned to be built in 2016.
He also inquired whether the proposal had been cancelled and, if so, what the reasons were and where the centre would be relocated.
Mosti informed that, at present, PSN, with assistance from the Sabah Government, is actively searching for a more suitable alternative location for PSNCS.
“The selected location must consider factors such as local population density, available public amenities, accessibility for the people of Sabah and the Government’s financial capability to fund the development.
“To achieve the goal of making science and technology more accessible to Sabah’s population, the establishment of PSNCS is expected to be proposed for implementation under the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13),” the Ministry said.
The establishment of PSNCS aims to expand public access to the promotion of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and to support the ecosystem of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Malaysia.
