PENAMPANG: The construction of a dual-carriageway between Kota Kinabalu and Brunei is expected to begin next year.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernanrd Dompok in disclosing this yesterday, said the Works Ministry was currently “looking at tenders” before implementing the project in phases.
“The project is on. There is a definite Cabinet decision that the project will go on,” assured Dompok when met at the ground breaking ceremony of Penampang Central, the first signature boutique office and commercial complex here.
He believes that once the dual carriageway was built, it would open up the surrounding areas for development.
“This is the importance of the development,” he said.
Dompok also said the issue of restricting the expansion of oil palm plantations does not arise in Sabah.
In fact, he said the people were free to develop their land and plant whatever crop they wished.
Commenting on the call to restrict the expansion of oil palm plantations during the Heart of Borneo International Conference, recently, he said they could not stop landowners from planting oil palm.
“There is no need to ban the expansion of the oil palm industry as, already, there is very limited land in Sabah right now.
“The lands that we have left and pockets of lands are probably owned by the natives. If they have for instance 10 to 20 acres of land, they should develop it, why should they not plant palm oil, I am in fact encouraging the people to plant.
“So in this respect, the issue of banning does not arise because it does not involve large developments,” he said.