Majang: High demand from Samalaju workers
KUCHING: The Housing Ministry has been urged to build people-friendly low cost and medium cost housing projects in Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP) or areas surrounding it.
Samalaju state assemblyman Majang Renggi made the call when debating on the State Budget 2019 at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here yesterday.
Pointing out that the population in SIP was fast growing as result of its rapid development, he said: “This housing project should be people-friendly and could be used to resettle squatters as well as meet the needs of the low and middle income groups.”
According to Majang, there are no public housing facilities in SIP which has several companies from within and outside the country.
“What are available in SIP are several apartment blocks constructed by the private sector. The limited units are unable to meet the high demand from workers.
“Many workers are forced to commute 110 kilometres daily from Bintulu to SIP,” he said.
He added the distance and time factors caused many problems to the workers.
Majang also proposed the creation of new districts in SIP so that development projects could be implemented more effectively and efficiently.
“I have suggested the same thing in the August House at the last meeting,” he said. Majang also said that in line with its intention to make SIP a leading and modern industrial centre in the region through the Development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), the State Government should pay special attention to the technical training of its manpower.
“These skilled and semi-skilled workers need to be in tandem with the growth and needs of the workforce in the industrial sector here.
“Therefore, I urge the government to give priority to infrastructure and equipment related to the skills and technical fields at every educational institution in the state,” he said.
Majang also suggested that the perimeter survey of native customary rights (NCR) land be expedited.
He recommended that the State Government improve the infrastructure and facilities for visitors at Tanjung Batu Beach.
