Kemas training centre to be set up in Keningau

KENINGAU: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry has agreed to set up a Community Development Department (KEMAS) training centre in Keningau to meet the need for training conducted by the agency, in Sabah.

Its minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said currently, such a training centre was only available in Perak while another had been planned for Terengganu.

“I see Sabah’s need for a Kemas training centre too. I feel it must be made available because it is quite difficult for Sabahans as the training is conducted in Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere.

“The (Keningau) Kemas training centre will be included in the budget application this year,” he said after opening the delegates’ meetings of the Pensiangan, Tenom and Keningau Umno divisions, here, yesterday.

Ismail Sabri said the availability of such a training centre here would make it easier for Kemas members to attend or organise any training course, and it will be more cost-effective than sending participants to Kuala Lumpur for training.

He said the cost of building such a centre might be quite high in the short term but in the long term, it would save on government funds.

On the focus of the ministry next year, he said he had suggested to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Finance Minister, that ‘touch point’ projects be increased as they would impact faster and significantly on the rural people.

He said such projects were small ones including the construction of rural roads such as roads to villages, and roads to mosques, to churches and to the cemeteries which were of daily use for the rural folk.

The minister said the touch point projects also encompassed providing rural water and electricity supplies and repairing of homes, which would take three months or less for the needy villagers to benefit from it.

“Touch point projects need not be big but can be completed fast,” said Ismail Sabri, who also announced that the ministry agreed to build several rural roads in the Pensiangan, Tenom and Keningau areas. - Bernama