PENAMPANG: Several infrastructure development and flood mitigation projects in Penampang are progressing smoothly and are expected to be completed in the near future, said Deputy Chief Minister III Ewon Benedick.
He said a number of major infrastructure projects in the district are currently being implemented, including the long-delayed Donggongon Tamu construction project and the Kapayan Square development.
“The construction of the Donggongon Tamu, which had been abandoned for a long time, as well as Kapayan Square, is now progressing smoothly and expected to be ready for public use soon.
“The dredging and widening works for the Donggongon drain have also been fully completed, easing concerns among Penampang residents over flood risks,” he said, when officiating the Penampang Kaamatan Festival celebration at Buhavan Square, Donggongon, on Saturday.
He said the project’s next phase had also been approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), providing long-term assurance to residents in the district.
On rural connectivity, Ewon, who is also the Penampang Member of Parliament, said the Babagon Timbangon Bridge is fully operational and accessible to residents.
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He added that construction of the Terian-Buayan road project in the Terian area was also progressing well and showing positive momentum.
Touching on economic development, Ewon said land constraints for small industrial areas in Penampang required a new approach among local entrepreneurs.
He encouraged entrepreneurs from Penampang to explore business opportunities in other industrial parks, including in Kota Kinabalu, the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC), Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP), Kudat and Kota Belud to further expand their economic potential.
He said the move was important to ensure that local economic and business activities were not solely concentrated in Penampang but could grow to a higher level.
Also present were Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun; Moyog assemblyman Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin; Assistant Minister II of Rural Development Ministry Datuk Juil Nuatim; KDCA deputy president Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun; and Penampang Municipal Council president Noemi Dyena John Trent.
