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.
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