TONGOD: The district, one of Malaysia’s poorest, is set for a major transformation with plans to develop a new millennium town spanning 1,000 acres near Pekan Tongod.
Kuamut Assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah said the high-impact project will be developed through a collaboration between the private sector and the State Government, following an announcement by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor during the Tongod district-level Kaamatan celebration.
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Before the announcement, Hajiji and Masiung received a briefing by a delegation from Corak Nahkoda Sdn Bhd, led by its Sabah Managing Director Robin Lim, on the proposed millennium new town development.
Masiung said 200 acres of the 1,000-acre site will be set aside for a government administrative centre housing state, federal and agency offices, designed along the lines of a mini Putrajaya.
“Government departments currently scattered across the district will be consolidated at this administrative hub, equipped with digital facilities and information technology infrastructure,” he said.
The proposed development also includes rows of two to four-storey shophouses, a shopping centre, petrol stations, a supermarket, a hotel, an industrial hub, affordable and medium-cost housing, a hospital, schools, a golf course and public recreational facilities.
Masiung, who chairs the Sedco Group and is widely known by his moniker “Tatap Kalaga”, said Tongod, dubbed “The Heart of Sabah”, is preparing for a new high-impact transformation phase that will reshape the face of the district.
He added that he will be meeting with Corak Nahkoda’s management and relevant stakeholders to refine the proposal before a draft agreement is signed.
The full scope of the project has yet to be finalised, with additional components to be incorporated based on the economic needs of the local population.
The mixed development project is targeted at spurring economic growth, creating employment opportunities and opening up business prospects for residents, directly addressing Tongod’s status as one of the 10 poorest districts in Malaysia.
“When fully realised within the next five years, this millennium new town is expected to close the chapter on Tongod’s classification as the country’s poorest district,”
Masiung said, describing the project as a modern transformation that would help bridge the development gap in Sabah’s east coast interior.
Earlier during the same visit, Hajiji also officiated the opening of the Tongod Native Court building before proceeding to launch the Kaamatan Festival.
