THE BN government again did something (for) not taking due consideration and care for the people on their direct interest. This time, it is Kg Ma’ang in Penampang again. Last time it was for the moving in of outsider from Kg Sri Tanjong from the KKIA extension work, and now it is a proposed water supply dam (Kaiduan Dam) to be built in the area. There will be a few thousand of acres of prime land and at least 1,000 inhabitants affected.
The Kampong folks staged a demonstration to protest, and the Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiat said that there is no need for a protest demonstration, because it is still under a feasibility study stage. There is no cause for alarm.
The Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu said the government should select other locations where little or less disturbances will arise for the purpose of building the water supply dam. There must be some other location(s) available and feasible for the construction of a water supply dam. The dam could be further away from populated areas and it is cheaper to build because this will involve less or no compensation to the kampong land or the people.
LINUNDUS says …
I agree with YB Hiew King Cheu that “the government should select other locations where little or less disturbances will arise for the purpose of building the water supply dam.”
Our leaders from Penampang should start planning to increase areas for housing in Penampang District. We cannot depend too much on those available flat land to be reclaimed for housing, particularly the ‘padi’ land. Reclamation of such land should be stopped in order to provide more land for ‘padi’ cultivation. On the contrary, land for ‘padi’ cultivation should be increased by providing necessary infrastructures to those formely ‘padi’ land which are left idle.
In the same vein, provide basic infrastructures like roads, water and electricity supplies to the hills. Once these are in place, developments will follow infrastructures. People will have more spaces to build their houses instead of building the proposed water reservoir or dam at Kg. Maang, which can be located at a suitable area where there is minimal dislocation of inhabitants.
I recommend further to our Wakil Rakyat that right-of-ways be planned at strategic locations in order to provide access to those land on the hills which are inaccessible, but yet are suitable for housing.
As I have said, developments will follow basic infrastructures. If right-of-ways are provided and the Government provides the necessary allocation to build the basic infrastructures on those approved right-of-ways, development for housing automatically follows at the deeper part of the hills. Hence, 'padi' land is left for cultivation.
This proposal was communicated to Wakil Rakyat Moyog but no action has been taken though he bought the idea.
SJD, FYI, the people of Moyog @ Penampang were fed-up of their YBS. I recalled from the Maang demonstration, the Tanaki bulldozing, the ancestral cemetry controversy, your DC saga and now the Kaiduan Dam Project, do you realized what is their first reaction, these two YBs will only said, " We are in the dark, let us investigate first". I laughed and felt sad when I see their picture in the newspaper especially when the YBs scrolled up a whatever survey or master plan and pretending to examined it. Well, what do you think? As a YB, they supposed to know A-Z of any development in their constituency. For example, one minister who just joined a West Malaysia party Gerakan knows what is happening and he went further and challenged the people of Penampang when he said no need to demonstrate because the project is just a concept. So now our YBs are also both ministers, why and what happened they don't know anything until the Penampang rakyat went to demonstrate to protest this project and they still demonstrating now (refer DE today). I think its typical of a Kadazan leader especially the Moyog YB that when he was promoted as an Assistant Finance Minister he looks lax, lacklustre and too many aramai tii in his duties nowadays and maybe he is closer to the CM, he prefer to shut his mouth (sudah kana kasi gula tuntung BN). SJD, I know that you are a retired Govt servant attached to LPPB and with your vast experienced in housing developement, your suggestion is very worthwhile and hope the two YBs will consider it. My only advice to these YBs is if you always in the dark, a tiny light from a near-distance will shine and blind you in GE13.
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