Kampung Sukau set to be Kinabatangan’s new ‘nucleus’

KOTA KINABALU: Residents of Kampung Sukau themselves used to call the village a ‘sleepy hollow’ as the settlement was left in limbo and away from the development mainstream.

OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED: Musa (third right) officiates at the ground-breaking ceremony for Pekan Baru Sukau at the compound of Perkasa Realty building. — Bernama photo

However, through the efforts of the state government and Sukau State Legislative Assembly representative Saddi Abdul Rahman this laid back village would soon ‘bloom’ into a small town.

Kampung Sukau, located in Kinabatangan district on the Sabah east coast, is undergoing a transformation in terms of its landscape and development.

A concrete bridge is to be construted over Sungai Kinabatangan which when completed would link Sukau with other districts like Lahad Datu, Sempurna and Tawau. This is expected to further boost the economic growth in the state’s east coast.

According to plans, Sukau town has been earmarked to be Kinabatangan’s new growth area and administration centre, said Saddi.

“Creation of the new Sukau town would meet the need to replace the Kinabatangan District Office which is now located in Tongod district,” the assemblyman told Bernama here.

The Sukau town development project would start with the commencement of the Tenth Malaysia Plan next year.

The State Government announced the project’s approval at the State Legislative Assembly sitting held last April, Saddi said, adding that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is scheduled to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony for Pekan Baru Sukau at the compound of Perkasa Realty building yesterday.

The development of this new town is set to catalyse the area’s economic development apart from boosting the economic status of residents there and relieving them from the shackles of poverty, said Saddi.

Saddi recalled the days of some four decades ago when Sungai Tumanggong, located near Kampung Sukau, experienced the economic boom as the river was the major route for boats transporting timber.

“Actually this activity had contributed to the economy in terms of turning Sandakan into ‘Little Hong Kong’ and causing the influx of foreign investors as well as workers to Sandakan in those decades.

“However, after that the hustle and bustle slowed down and the economic activities were only focussed on the plantation sector like cocoa and oil palm. Only a small number of the locals have land for this purpose while the big players moved abroad to venture as conglomerates in business,” he said.

Since then, Kampung Sukau and the other small villages in its vicinity began to venture into tourism when the state government initiated measures to develop this sector. — Bernama