444 land grants handed over to residents of Kudat

24 August 2024

KUDAT: The state government has handed over a total of 444 land grants to local residents from three constituencies in the Kudat district, covering an area of 1,130.09 hectares.

The Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, presented the grants during the launch of the Bakti Madani Kudat 2024 Programme at Dataran Tomborungus in Kudat on Saturday.

"With the handover of these land grants, the government hopes to improve the living standards of the people and provide them with opportunities to develop the land for a brighter future."

"The handover of these native land grants today follows several previous handovers that have taken place in various areas, including Pitas and Pintasan, Kota Belud."

"This is evidence of the state government's commitment to ensuring the rights and interests of the people are always prioritized. This responsibility is undertaken with full dedication to ensure the welfare and socio-economic stability of the people," he said.

The grants include 353 for the Matunggung constituency, 55 for Tanjong Kapor, and 36 for Banggi.

During the ceremony, the Chief Minister also emphasised the importance of bringing development to the area, including plans to establish a new industrial park in Kudat.

He stated that the creation of an industrial park in Kudat is appropriate as the district has various existing facilities, including deep waters and a port, as well as a strategic location close to several countries such as China, Korea, and Japan.

"Therefore, it is suitable for us to introduce a programme for the construction of an industrial park for the development of this district."

Approximately 5,000 acres of Land is required he said.

"We have identified the areas needed, and hence we require cooperation from elected representatives, Members of Parliament, and the people who may be affected by the land.

"Our concept is not to take land but to involve the people who own land in the identified areas. However, we will discuss this further with the State Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship, as well as the Members of Parliament in this district," he said, adding that this proposal needs to be examined in detail first.

Regarding the event, he stated that the Bakti Madani Kudat 2024 Programme is a very relevant approach to further expand the understanding of the Malaysia Madani concept and the Sabah Maju Jaya direction to the community at the grassroots level.

"All of the government's efforts, especially through the Sabah Maju Jaya agenda, are now on the right track, which has and will certainly provide more job opportunities, thereby improving the living standards of the people.

"Today’s programme is an excellent initiative to engage with the people, offering various services from state and federal government agencies, GLCs, private companies, and NGOs through their respective exhibition booths. "

"Therefore, I hope this programme can be expanded to other districts so that more people at the grassroots level can benefit from it. We will continue to strive to build a sustainable and inclusive economy, including promoting investment in key sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and industry, as well as the new economy in the state, namely the Blue Economy," he said.