KOTA KINABALU: Explanation will continue to be given to the people, especially those who objected and are directly affected by the proposed Kaiduan Dam.
Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said this would be done to give all parties involved the actual perspective on the issue.
Pairin reiterated that the controversial Kaiduan Dam project proposed to be built in Papar-Penampang area was vital in order to meet the increasing demand for treated water in Kota Kinabalu and its surrounding areas.
He said the facility was expected to provide sufficient supply for residents, commercial and industrial consumers in the capital, Penampang, Papar, Putatan and Tuaran until 2050 and may proceed as planned despite persisting objections from several quarters.
“Treated water supply has become one of the issues affecting people in the state and this is continuously being addressed by the government through development of water resources and installation of pipeline throughout the state, apart from addressing the non-revenue water (NRW) problem,” he said when addressing his ministry’s Key Performance Index (KPI) monthly assembly held here yesterday.
He said this was among the main strategic issues his ministry would focus on this year, in addition to providing better connectivity, quality facility, safer and reliable railway services, as well as modern and effective ports and harbours.
Groups objecting against the dam have expressed concerns that the government’s effort to carry out feasibility study for the proposed project recently was just part of their ploy to push it through despite the people’s disapproval.
The government meanwhile said the group was just attempting to have the project canceled as they expressed concerns over the feasibility study.
Elaborating further on the connectivity issue, Pairin said the government would continue its efforts to provide better and of quality roads not only in the city and towns but to comprehensively include those in townships and villages.
He acknowledged that grouses were still being heard from the public on the conditions of roads in Sabah, and related agencies would respond to them the best they could.
He also said roads needed to be built with value for money and have a life span according to its set specification to ensure that they met their objective of bringing forth development for the people.
On the train services, he said the ministry viewed seriously several negative incidences that had tainted the State Railways Department’s image.
He urged the department to step up efforts to ensure reliable railway services so as to enable it to play its role as provider of effective, popular and safer alternative transportation.
For this purpose, he advised the department to improve its risk management to prevent recurrence of untoward incidences while Railway Ordinance, gazetted since 1914, must be updated to suit current situation.
On port services, Pairin said the vision to turn Kota Kinabalu into a hub for Southeast Asia, needed to be complemented with concrete effort and high commitment to ensure the competitiveness of all ports in Sabah.
Construction of public jetties and installations of navigation aid equipment needed to be planned in line with the increase in maritime activities within the state waters, he said.
“The same with those commercial ports because their capabilities have always become subject for criticisms,” he added.