By Yussof J. Imbang
TONGOD: Tongod is set to make history as the first district in Sabah to offer a designated area for a new village site to accommodate the Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) homes in an organized manner within the district.
Kuamut Assemblyman, Datuk Masiung Banah stated that the plan represents a new framework for the direction of SMJ proposed for the Kuamut State Assembly area next year.
He made this statement immediately after handing over the keys to two newly completed SMJ homes in Kampung Purutowai here on Saturday..
“I have instructed the District Officer and Community Development Leader (PPM) to identify strategic areas to be gazetted as the new SMJ village.
“We are confident that once the state government is able to form a new administration, this SMJ village will be established as the first model in Sabah,” he asserted.
According to Masiung, if the effort to build the new settlement becomes a reality, the establishment of infrastructure such as roads, water supply, and electricity will be more manageable and systematic.
Additionally, he mentioned that as the number of SMJ homes increases year by year, the government will find it easier to provide public facilities such as community halls, kindergartens, and clinics in the area.
Currently, the State Government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor allocates 40 houses for each State Assembly with a budget of RM3.2 million.
The SMJ housing assistance introduced by the state government will now be provided free of charge to eligible Sabah residents.
District Officer of Tongod, Mohd Yuseri Ismail Yusof, and PPM, Tokyo Hasim Omar were also present at the event.
