Sipitang Needs a Modern and Sophisticated Health Complex: Matbali

Matbali (second left) receives the Letter of Appointment as a Friend of the Ministry (FOM) of the Ministry of Works (KKR) from the Minister of Works, Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi (second from right), at the Malaysian Parliament Administration Building on Tuesday.

14 August 2025

KOTA KINABALU : Sipitang District requires a fully modern and sophisticated Health Complex to meet the needs of over 35,000 residents, said Sipitang Member of Parliament Datuk Matbali Musah.

As such, he hopes his proposal will be included as one of the key projects under the development agenda of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).

He said this is crucial, taking into account the size of the Sipitang district, which spans 2,437 square kilometres – equivalent to the size of the state of Melaka.

“I hope my proposal will be given serious consideration, in line with efforts to upgrade Sipitang Hospital into a specialist hospital in the future.

“This also aligns with our district’s geostrategic position, which borders Labuan and Sarawak, as well as international routes to Brunei Darussalam and Kalimantan, Indonesia,” he said during the RMK13 debate in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

Matbali added that several existing health clinics in and around Sipitang, including the nearest in Sindumin (19.6km), as well as those in Mendulong, Meligan, and the furthest in Long Pasia (115km), could use the proposed Health Complex as a referral centre for patients, without the need to transfer them to Beaufort or Kota Kinabalu.

In addition, he reiterated the issue of the unfinished Pan-Borneo Highway project along the Sipitang–Beaufort stretch, urging the Ministry of Works to act swiftly to address it.

He said the construction progress has been extremely slow and poorly supervised.

“This road no longer serves as a convenience, but instead has become a burden and a contributing factor to several accidents.

“According to official statistics, there were 16 accidents reported on the Beaufort–Sipitang section of the Pan-Borneo Highway between January and July this year alone, compared to 23 cases for the whole of last year,” he said.

He also touched on the upgrading projects for Jalan Mentulud and Jalan Mendulong, which have yet to commence despite reportedly being approved.

“The same goes for the Upgrading Project for the road from Kampung Mendulong to Kampung Meligan… its condition remains unchanged,” he added.

Other issues he raised include the need for electricity supply in remote rural areas such as Kg Long Pasia, Long Mio, Meligan, Ulu Bole and Iburu, which still rely on generators.

He also called on the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), to review and consider the “threefold issue” affecting the Sipitang parliamentary constituency — floods, riverbank erosion, and river mouth siltation.

“Flooding often occurs in the Pekan Sindumin area, particularly in Kg. Skim Sindumin and Tanjung Nipis, reaching floodwater levels of 1.5 metres due to the overflow of Sungai Mengalong.

“Meanwhile, riverbank erosion is becoming increasingly concerning along several parts of Sungai Padas in the Beaufort district, especially in Kg. Suasa, Mempagar, Lupak, Lubak Hilir, Bingkul, and Luagan.

“As for the siltation at the mouth of Sungai Sipitang, it has caused the river to become increasingly shallow and narrow, making navigation difficult and contributing to the increased frequency of flooding,” he said.