The mess Pakatan left in Sabah has become our problem, says Ongkili

KOTA MARUDU – Some 150 folks from a village here were forced to move into incomplete government-aid houses two years ago because they had no other place to go.

The folks from Kg Gana have not only had to endure the many shortcomings of their new homes, but also had to deal with the fact that the units have not received the occupational certificate (OC) until today.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili said he learnt about this today following a briefing of the Gana agropolitan project here and blamed the previous Pakatan Harapan government for the mess.

“Some of the homeowners have already done renovations on their houses. Not only is it illegal, especially since the OC has not been released, but it can also be dangerous as people may get hurt in the process.

“This shows that the contractor appointed by the government agency may not have been up to par,” said Ongkil, who is the Kota Marudu MP, when he visited the remote village in his constituency today.

He noted that Felcra Bhd, the implementing agency under the Finance Ministry for the Hardcore Poor Housing Project (PPRT), had run into some issues, including financial setbacks and a problematic contractor.

Some RM16.9 million was allocated for the first phase of 150 PPRT units on a 17.26ha piece of land in Kg Gana.

Ongkili said development programmes have been stagnant for the last two years in Sabah, and failed projects are now being inherited by the present government.

Expressing disappointment, he claimed that the previous government failed to deliver development to the people for two solid years.

“We inherited the problems left behind by the PH government,” he said. 

“The villagers ended up moving into their ‘half-cooked’ homes as they had nowhere else to go.”

Meanwhile, he also said that the rubber plantation under the Sabah Rubber Industry Board is moving into its second phase on a 1,000ha land, costing some RM44.5 million.

“We are working hard with the state Rural and Regional Development Ministry and Economic Planning Unit to make up for lost time and deliver basic needs to Kg Gana communities so they can claim their rightful portion of the Shared Property Vision,” he said. – The Vibes, December 21, 2020