MP moots low cost apartments for original Sembulan folks
KOTA KINABALU: Putatan member of parliament Datuk Dr Marcus Makin Mojigoh has requested for 2.5 acres of land in Sembulan from the State Government to construct low cost apartments to house some 2,000 original inhabitants of the district.
He explained that the residents, especially those who are elderly, were not keen on moving anywhere else.
“And we don’t want them to be chased out of Sembulan. We want the original people of Sembulan to be able to stay here forever,” he said.
He said the folks should not be moved to Telipok to make way for developments in Sembulan.
“And, why should they be relocated?” he asked.
Mojigoh added that the people do realise the need to develop and beautify Sembulan as it is a prime land near the city centre. At the same time, there is also a need to rid the district of its ‘red zone’ status due to rampant cases of drug abuse and other crimes, he said.
He also said that meetings with the Sabah Urban Development Corporation (SUDC) to make it possible have already taken place.
“There is an agreement but it is not yet official,” he said on the negotiations to acquire the land and to construct the building for the apartments. He described the negotiations/ discussions as positive.
He also mentioned that each apartment lot would have three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
“Perhaps by the next election, we will get it,” he said, adding that the State Government will have to come up with the allocation to realise the plan.
Mojigoh also commented on the cleanliness at Sembulan, urging the residents there to work with the local government to rid the district of pests, such as rats, and work together to clean up.
He reminded that the district is the entry point to the city and there is a need to provide a positive portrayal of Kota Kinabalu and Sabah.
“The agenda is to create a systematic and clean environment for Sembulan so that we will be seen as a developed nation,” he said at the Sembulan district Merdeka Day celebration yesterday.