Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais
KUCHING: Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Office (Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development) Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais has been appointed as head coordinator for Simunjan and Gedong constituencies in the upcoming state election.
According to him, the appointment is made by virtue of him being the current elected people’s representative of Simunjan. Given this post, Naroden has deputy coordinators – councillor Awla Deris and councillor Japar Mostapa – to look after Simunjan and Gedong, respectively.
“As for the next state election, we are preparing ourselves and in view of this, we have formed a committee to look after every zone within the two constituencies. The committees are tasked to form operations room and compile all issues,” he said during an interview at his office here yesterday.
It is learned that Simunjan has four zones – Nanas, Kelaka / Sageng, Selangking / Sungai Buluh, and Temiang/ Sungai Lingkan – while Gedong has three (Gedong, Semalatong / Kepayang, and Lubok Punggo / Ensinggei).
Touching on the projects in both constituencies, Naroden said he was glad to see that several were already in progress.
For Simunjan, he said RM15 million had been approved for the flood mitigation project that would include the construction of a canal to divert the water from Sadong River towards reducing the impact on the mainland.
Other projects are high-level water tank which is still in progress and the RM1.8-million mini stadium (in the process of tendering), while RM2 million has been set aside by the state government for the construction of terraces and parking lots.
“Another notable project that the people in Simunjan shall be proud of and can look forward to is the new Simunjan Township, which has been approved by State Planning Authority (SPA),” Naroden said.
According to him, among the components of the project is the construction of commercial shoplots and housing estates, as well as food and drink stalls, a budget hotel and a petrol station. He added that a shortcut from the new township to Batang Sadong Bridge spanning less than 10km, was also in the pipeline.
Naroden, who is also Assistant Minister of Resource Planning, said another development that would change the lives of those living along Batang Sadong is the construction of a 40km road linking Kota Samarahan with Kampung Gumpei – passing several riverine villages such as Kampungg Benat and Kampung Lubok Punggo along the way.
He said the resurfacing job had been tendered out by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, with works to commence very soon.
For Gedong, Naroden said SPA had approved RM1.5 million for the refurbishment of the food and drink stalls, adding that the tender would be issued very soon.
“The construction of a RM500,000 football field is also in progress,” he said.
For the flood mitigation project in Gedong, Naroden said RM8 million had been approved by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.
Still, he felt that there were still much to be done for Gedong.
“If I were to be given the choice, I would prefer to contest in Gedong which is my ‘kampung’ (home village), and while my parents are still around,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said he would leave the decision to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan, who is the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman.
“It is the prerogative of the chief minister to decide where I should contest.” Gedong is carved out from Simunjan and part of Sebuyau state constituencies. It is among the 11 newly-created state voting areas seats following the redelineation of electoral boundaries by the Election Commission.