‘Sabah govt committed to solving squatter issue’
SEMPORNA: The Sabah government is committed to solving the squatter problem in the state even though the process may take a bit of time, said Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said for 50 years, the problem of haphazard housing (in squatter areas) had not been resolved.
“The time has come for the housing system in the state to be properly organised so that fires do not spread easily and basic facilities such as hydrants provided,” he told reporters after handing over donations to Kampung Air Hujung fire victims here yesterday.
On July 31, a total of 1,087 people were affected in a fire involving 105 homes in the village. Mohd Shafie said the squatter problem must be resolved as it would be a burden to the people and government.
“If at present, there are 1,000 squatter areas in Sabah, if they are not tackled, it could increase to 50,000. This could lead to other issues like security and health,” he said, adding that he did not want to see Sabahans living in squatter areas.
However, Mohd Shafie said, the state government needed time to plan towards achieving its target of zero squatters in Sabah.
“We have a lot of land, there must be places to build homes, all the land cannot just be for logging, we have to be rational in governing,” he said.
Mohd Shafie said the Sabah Local Government and Housing Ministry had been instructed to plan proper housing in every district in the state. — Bernama