KUDAT: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday announced a special allocation of more than RM31 million to drive development on Pulau Banggi, thus ensuring that the residents of Malaysia’s largest island are not left out of the national development trend.
He said the allocation through the Federal Government and the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department includes the development of roads, bridges as well as health, education, security and jetty facilities.
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He said the projects included the upgrading of roads and bridges in Kampung Limbuak Laut, Kapitangan, Damaran and Bayangan Laut, as well as improvements to the Pulau Banggi police station and health facilities at Karakit Health Clinic.
According to him, also listed were projects to upgrade school dormitories on Pulau Banggi and Pulau Balambangan, the implementation of projects related to national security and defence by the Ministry of Defence and the upgrading of the Karakit public jetty at the ferry terminal.
“I want Pulau Banggi to be an example to the people who are marginally poor or isolated that this Madani Government feels responsible for upholding the dignity and capabilities of every citizen,” he said when speaking at the Prime Minister’s Reception with the Residents of Pulau Banggi, here, Saturday.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan.
Also present were the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and Banggi Assemblyman Datuk Mohammad Mohamarin.
Touching on land transport infrastructure, Anwar said the project to upgrade the Kampung Limbuak Laut to Kampung Pengkalan Darat road is currently being implemented by the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) at a cost of almost RM44 million.
“This project is very important because good roads will open up economic, educational and health access for the people in the interior of the island,” he stressed.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister also announced an additional government contribution of RM1.25 million which will be coordinated by agencies under the Office of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs).
Anwar said the funds would benefit the residents through the implementation of education, institutional empowerment, green technology, health and human development programmes.
He said to strengthen the safety net and daily facilities in coastal areas, the Government had also approved an allocation of RM1 million to upgrade the jetty in Kampung Dogoton for the use of residents and enforcement agencies.
“The Government has also agreed to upgrade the jetty in Kampung Dogoton for the use of villagers and enforcement agencies amounting to RM1 million, which will be carried out by the Prime Minister’s Department’s ICU,” he said.
He stressed that the island’s remote geographical location is not an excuse for the community in the area to continue to lag behind, on the contrary, the Madani Government shouldered a great responsibility to protect the fate of all the people regardless of their location.
“Continuous efforts will always be made to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to enjoy a better standard of living than before,” he said.
