Designing development must be in tandem with pace of housing - Ewon

7 July 2024

Oleh Wartawan Nabalu News

PENAMPANG: Development planning needs to be in line with the pace of housing projects in Sabah, including in Penampang.

Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDC) Datuk Ewon Benedick who is also the Member of Parliament for Penampang, said that the pace of housing projects in Sabah, especially in Penampang, has created a challenge and a necessity for local authorities (PBT) and other technical departments to pay attention to this aspect including drainage and sewerage.

"In this regard, the City Council, District Office, Department of Town and Regional Planning, other technical departments such as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Water Department, and Public Works Department need to provide a better plan.

"Road access, utilities, and other facilities including drainage and sewerage should also be a new focus in Penampang," he said when met by reporters after officiating the Sales Gallery and Launching of Sky88 Residences Bundusan, here, today.

Ewon said that for the Penampang area, a District Development Action Meeting will be held this Tuesday to discuss various matters.

"Among them are issues related to the recent floods in Penampang and other needs that we need to include in the proposed implementation of Penampang development in the upcoming Malaysia Plan.

"Besides that, we are also discussing the implementation of existing projects such as the Flood Mitigation Project being carried out in Penampang, Road Widening Project, and several infrastructure facilities in this district that are currently being implemented but still require many other facilities," he said.

Ewon said, as the representative of the people of Penampang, it is his responsibility to observe, study, monitor, and demand new needs so that they can be addressed more effectively.

"In Penampang, we have prepared the Penampang Development Plan, which was launched last December in the presence of the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and the Chief Minister of Sabah (Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor), and it will serve as my input to other ministers and ministries at the federal and state levels, especially in the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13) 2026-2030, on how we can better organize development in Penampang."

Regarding the event, Ewon said that the construction of Sky88 Residence in Penampang is very timely because housing issues are still a major need for the population, especially those who are working.

"The government has also launched the Malaysia My Second Home program, and Sky88 Residence can provide an option for them to own more comfortable housing in Sabah," he said.