Adenan (seated right) being interviewed by an announcer from Sarawak FM after launching the Sadong Jaya Festival. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
Adenan turning his attention to illegal fishing by foreigners in bid to stop theft of marine resources
SADONG JAYA: After achieving notable success in his war against illegal logging, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem says his next mission is to stop illegal foreign trawlers from fishing the state waters.
Adenan said efforts to stop foreign trawlers from encroaching into state waters would be intensified as he had received many complaints that foreign trawlers were affecting the livelihood of local fishermen.
“I don’t want people to steal our fish from our waters. There are many foreign trawlers stealing fish from our waters. They will then sell them outside our country and we don’t get anything. They are our next target,” he said when launching the Sadong Jaya Festival here, yesterday.
The chief minister also stressed that he would not allow the influx of illegal immigrants like what Sabah was facing to happen to the state, and the problem must be nipped in the bud before it got out of control.
“We don’t want illegal immigrants, those without passports and permits to enter Sarawak. We don’t want to be like Sabah where there are millions of illegal immigrants. Therefore, report to the Immigration Department (if you come across illegal immigrants). We want to take preventive measures before it gets out of hand.”
Touching on rural development Adenan said there was a huge gap between the development in rural and urban areas and his cabinet was trying to close the gap.
“It is not supposed to be like that. It is not that the government did not develop the rural areas, but not enough. Maybe there is enough development in Sadong Jaya, but in places in Ulu Rajang or Ulu Baram, where there are still no basic facilities such as road, electricity and water supply.”
He said although roads had been built to facilitate the people’s mobility in the state, the state’s communication infrastructure was still insufficient as Sarawak is as big as the whole of Peninsular Malaysia.
“We don’t want to be left behind. If Peninsular Malaysia has these facilities, we want it here as well. We want to have the highway that is the same as what they have in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The development of Pan Borneo Highway will take time but it is good that the project has finally started so that we can have the infrastructure similar to what they have in Peninsular Malaysia.”
Among those present at the event were Datin Patinggi Puan Sri Dato Jamilah Anu, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri who is also Batang Sadong MP and Sadong Jaya assemblyman Aidel Lariwoo.