Batang Ai enjoys a lot since 2009 by-election, says assemblyman
LUBOK ANTU: Most of the promises made by the government during the Batang Ai by- election in April 2009, worth some RM500 million, have been fulfilled, reveals Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment Malcolm Mussen Lamoh.
According to him, about RM300 million were spent on roads and bridges; a few hundred million for the Lubok Antu police complex; RM100 million for the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex near the border and RM50 million for the new water treatment plant.
“The people are very thankful to the government for keeping their promises and pledges for Lubok Antu District. Now most of the longhouses here are connected by roads.
“But we also hope that there would be more good things to come to the district to ensure that our people will not be lagging behind,” Mussen told BAT 7 yesterday.
He added that many of the locals, who are mostly Ibans, have been getting wealthy through their hard work by venturing into oil palm plantation and other cash crops such as pepper and rubber.
“You can see in most of the longhouses during Gawai Dayak that they have no place to park their cars. This shows that they are getting more affluent. But of course they won’t tell you how much money they make,” he joked.
Mussen, who is Batang Ai assemblyman, disclosed that he is now working closely with government agencies to bring in investors to Lubok Antu to invest in the agriculture sector.
“We have to create more incomegenerating projects based on agriculture industry and ecotourism to increase the people’s income,” he said.
Mussen was first elected as assemblyman after winning the Batang Ai by- election in April
The people are very thankful to the government for keeping their promises and pledges for Lubok Antu District. Now most of the longhouses here are connected by roads. Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment
2009 following the demise of fourterm assemblyman Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot on Feb 24, 2009 after nine months in a coma following a stroke.
Meanwhile, Mussen was hopeful that his plan to develop an inland port near the Lubok Antu CIQ complex would materialise soon so that it could become another gateway to West Kalimantan, similar to Tebedu in Serian Division.
“We are seek an allocation of RM30 million for the purpose of building a bridge across Batang Ai and a link road with a distance of 9km from GiatMara, which is not far from Lubok Antu town, to the proposed inland port near the CIQ, so that big lorries could be diverted from entering the town and cause traffic congestion,” he said.