Nabawan squatter eyes village status
Published on: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
By: Marutin Ansiung
Joachim (seated, middle) and his delegation with Nabawan District Council members.
NABAWAN: Kampung Indah Nabawan here, a squatter settlement, will be gazetted as a traditional village if it meets the conditions, said State Local Government and Housing (KKTP) Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
He said if the village is one hundred per cent occupied by locals it can be gazetted as a traditional village.
ADVERTISEMENT
“However, a study needs to be done first by taking into account various aspects, including long-term planning,” he said during a briefing by Nabawan District Council Executive Officer Mumin Amsah, here, Tuesday.
Joachim, who is also Deputy Chief Minister II, said the gazettement should be implemented to enable the village to enjoy facilities like others.
“If it is gazetted as a traditional village, then a village head can be appointed. However, to realise this, certain processes have to be fulfilled,” he said.
Earlier, Mumin said the Kampung Indah settlement is located within the Nabawan District Council operational area.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said it was classified as a squatter colony that started to grow in the 1980s, with the reason that the early residents wanted to be close to better services such as school and health facilities.
“According to the census in 2022, there are a total of 132 houses in the settlement involving 492 local residents. No control was done in the early stages, causing an increase in the population,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the District Council plans to whiten the area by turning the Kampung Indah settlement into a town village or a traditional village as mandated by the KKTP Minister.
Also present were KKTP Assistant Minister Datuk Isnin Aliasnih, KKTP Permanent Secretary Datuk Jamili Nais, Nabawan District Council Chairman Peter Jiton who is also Nabawan District Officer and Keningau District Police Chief Supt Yampil Anak Garai.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
