Reversal of the target status of an economically powerful district

MUKAH, 2 Oct: Balingian aims to upgrade status from a small district to a full district in order to strengthen economic development, attract investment and create more employment opportunities for the local population.

ADUN Balingian, Dr Abdul Yakub Arbi, said the improvement of the administration's status has the potential to accelerate development in the area through separate development allocations to meet community needs.

According to him, an application for upgrading the status of Balingian has been submitted to the state government in order to allow the area to enjoy more comprehensive development.

"For the Balingian community, as we have requested to the state government, we ask that the small district of Balingian be elevated into a full district.

"By being a full district, Balingian will be able to grow rapidly, investors come in and economically we can increase the budget as well as have our own budget", he said when met at Mini Studio TVS, today.

He said that at present Balingian is still dependent on Mukah district in certain respects, thus making the improvement of administrative status amongst things which is expected to help strengthen the development of the area.

Meanwhile, Abdul Yakub said efforts to expand employment opportunities for young people were also of concern, especially to ensure that locals have career options without having to migrate to other areas.

Obviously, among the plans being considered is the development of small-scale factories to provide employment opportunities for those who do not pursue higher education.

He said skills training through related agencies such as the Sarawak Foundation is also needed to increase youth marketable according to local industry needs.

"For the Balingian area, we are trying to set up small factories for those who are excluded from further education. We will provide training through the Sarawak Foundation so they can continue to live and work in the Balingian area.

"Under the Sago Nipah Development Board (SNDB), we have also planned for factories to be developed and maybe that's where they will get employment opportunities in future", he said.

He said that training of young people still living in the villages is also important to equip them with skills appropriate to local industrial and economic needs.

However, he said, efforts to retain young people in Balingian should be supported by attractive economic opportunities and better prospects for the future.

Meanwhile, Abdul Yakub said basic facilities in the Balingian area continue to be strengthened with road coverage now reaching about 98 per cent, while electricity supply records around 94 per cent.

He said that ongoing efforts will be made to ensure the facility can be extended to residents who have not yet fully enjoyed access.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged that telecommunications availability is still among the most frequent problems faced by residents, especially when there are disruptions to services.

According to him, cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies is essential to ensure that the complaints of residents can be disseminated and immediate response is taken.

He said the vandalism of telecommunications facilities is among the factors that often cause disruption to services in the area.

Efforts to upgrade Balingian as a full district, in addition to strengthening basic facilities and creating employment opportunities, are seen as among measures to expand economic development and improve the well-being of local residents. - TVS