KOTA BELUD – Kota Belud, a district in Sabah’s west coast, was allocated about RM25 million for its development and basic amenities projects by the state government this year.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor said under the state Budget 2021, RM17.07 million was allocated to the district office as part of the plans to ensure objectives in the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) could be achieved.
The federal government had channelled a further RM7.9 million to the district office.
“The government will continue to implement various development programmes for the benefit of the people in the district,” he said at the opening of the Tamu Besar festival programme at Dewan Tun Said here today.
His speech was read by Usukan state assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Said Keruak, former state chief minister and a Umno leader.
Usukan is within the Kota Belud parliamentary constituency.
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led state government also gave a special allocation of RM6.5 million this year for the upgrading works of the flood-prone Lebak Moyoh roundabout area.
The roundabout is located in the middle of the main route connecting the state capital of Kota Kinabalu to the northern parts of Sabah.
“The upgrading works are 64% complete. I am sure once completed, road users travelling along the route will be more comfortable (as they no longer have to face floods whenever it rains),” he said.
The chief minister said through the Public Works Department, the government had approved the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway spanning 32.2km across the district from Pituru to Rampayan.
Pituru is connected to Serusup in Tuaran via a 20.7km long Pan Borneo Highway package that is expected to be implemented this December.
The government has also repaired and constructed 23 of the 47 dilapidated schools in Kota Belud, he said.
Hajiji said the government will also support and provide assistance to Kota Belud’s tourism sector as the district has been a favourite tourist destination, particularly its community-based rural tourism in Kadamaian.
At the same time, he congratulated the district office for launching the Kota Belud District Strategic Plan 2020-2030.
“It will be a guide for all development and infrastructure plans to lift the socio-economic well-being of the people in the district, which is in line with the SMJ aspirations,” the chief minister said.
In this respect, he hopes that no one would be sidelined from the development plan and that it would be successfully implemented. – The Vibes, November 27, 2021
