Santubong awaits Palanivel’s RM25m greenlight — Wan Junaidi

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KUCHING: Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel will be visiting Santubong constituency in two weeks’ time to see personally what needs to be done in the area.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who is Santubong MP, said this was the third time Palanivel had promised to come and hopefully comes through this time.

“He (Palanivel) is confirmed coming on Sept 20 and we are glad about that. Our purpose of inviting the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to Santubong constituency is to let him see the three major embankment projects we have been asking for.

“We are requesting the ministry to allocate to us a total of RM25 million for three embankment projects in Sematan, Lundu and Buntal. The projects in Sematan and Lundu, which are both extension of the existing waterfronts, are estimated to cost RM10 million each while the embankment project in Buntal is in the region of RM5 million involving a total length of about 150 metres,” he said.

He disclosed this when speaking to reporters after chairing a Santubong agriculture development council meeting at Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) Sarawak head office in Medan Niaga Satok here yesterday.

“I am fully confident that we will be able to get the funds considering the fact that Santubong comprises three state constituencies and one of them (Tanjung Datu) is being represented by our Chief Minister (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem),” he said.

Wan Junaidi said apart from that, various programmes were currently being worked out to further develop and improve the livelihood of the fishermen in the area.

“One of them is by giving them Programme Bantuan Rumah (PBR) where 299 units with a total cost of nearly RM6 million. This is one of the ways to help the coastal fishermen. This assistance will be given to everyone for as long as they are eligible regardless of race and background,” he said.

He said the agriculture development council for Santubong constituency was also looking at giving the fishing community other alternatives in view of depleting marine resources and also unpredictable sea conditions which can sometimes be too dangerous for them to go out to fish.

“What we are working on now is to let them make their choice. In the meantime, we organise courses and seminars for them, which also include cattle and goat rearing besides cage fish farming.

“These are the alternatives that we want them to consider but for a start, they should attend the relevant courses and seminars so that when they decide which field to go, they already know what to do,” he said.

Also present at the news conference yesterday was state FAMA director Paza @ Faizal Dan.