Warisan to pursue Sipitang plan
Published on: Friday, April 12, 2024
Sarifuddin also said that JPRN’s economic model for Sipitang would focus on diversified and downstream industries to allow more Sipitang folks to gain employment.
Kota Kinabalu: Parti Warisan will continue its plan to establish the “Southern Sabah Industrial and Trade Centre” in Sipitang regardless of the Trans-Borneo high speed railway.
Warisan’s State Election Committee (JRPN) Economic Policy Committee, Sarifuddin Hata said the JPRN had conducted its own study on the district’s economic potential for almost a year in 2023.
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“Upon completion of the study, the party’s Sipitang Division had passed its resolution for the establishment of an industrial trade centre and was tabled by the division chief, Aziz Taip during our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in December last year.
“In fact, several Warisan top leaders in the likes of Vice President(s) Junz Wong, Terrence Siambun and Information Chief, Azis Jamman visited Sipitang several times last year to attend to issues in the district.
“These show how serious the party is to make Sipitang ‘the anchor’ for its neighbouring districts that ultimately will stimulate Sabah’s West Coast’s economy.
“So while we welcome the proposed Trans-Borneo Railway, the party will still proceed with our plan for Sipitang whether the said proposal (Trans-Borneo) will materialize or not,” he said in a statement, on Monday.
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Sarifuddin, who is also Merotai Assemblyman, also said that JPRN’s economic model for Sipitang would focus on diversified and downstream industries to allow more Sipitang folks to gain employment.
“The rise and fall of SFI should have taught us the lesson not to be overly dependent on a singular industry but to have it strengthened and supplemented by diversified high and medium value new industries including the downstream industries.
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“JPRN believes that Sipitang’s over-dependence on one industry may have been the cause why absolute poverty incidence in that district had shown a double digit increment for 2022.
“For any new investment coming into Sogip, a large number of workers will only be needed during the construction phase of 24 months and upon completion, 80 per cent of them will be made redundant.
“Warisan is ambitious to achieve the target of creating as many long term employment with wages that exceed the Poverty Line Index (PLI) of RM2700 (for both food and non-food) as possible through several action plans that JPRN has identified not only for Sipitang but also other districts in Sabah as well,” he said.
He also took a swipe at GRS leaders in Sipitang and Beaufort whom he said had suddenly found a new lease of political life through the Trans-Borneo Railway proposal.
"Before the proposal had been announced, they were silent not only on the double digit absolute poverty incidence increment for Sipitang but also on the correct economic stimulation plans.
“Now they’re full of praise for Trans-Borneo by calling it a game changer and so on but what will happen if it does not materialise?” he said.
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