"The Construction And Completion Of The Proposed Infrastructure Works At Kidurong Industrial Area (Kinda) Ii Phase 1 (Poic) - Stage 1, Bintulu On 27 Oktober 2008 At Auditorium Bda, Wisma Bintulu Between BDA & H.K.K And Salem Construction Sdn. Bhd.
Bda Represented By Haji Mohidin Ishak, General Manager And Puan Siti Aishah Othman, Legal Officer.
Bintulu : The Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) signed a contract worth over RM27.45 million with contractor H.K.K And Salem Construction Sdn Bhd for the construction and completion of proposed infrastructure works at the Kidurong Industrial Area (KINDA) II phase I for the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) stage I project.
The project is scheduled to be fully completed within 24 months of the date of handing over of the site covering some 320ha on Oct. 25. Mohidin told reporters that the scope of works awarded to the contractor would cover the site clearing and earthworks, drainage works, flexible pavement and road furniture, water reticulation, sewer reticulation and street lighting. Mohidin said the project, which under the Ninth malaysia Plan (9MP) funding of the Ministry of plantation Industries and Commodities, was assigned to BDA for development. "The Ministry wants BDA to develop the POIC because they want to do downstream activities to value-add to palm oil industry here in the hinterland," said Mohidin.
"The cluster is for downstream activities and it is also aimed at providing investment and employment opportunities in region," he said and added that locals would benefit from the project in the near future. He added that the project would be facilitated with high technology machinery. "we have been allocated with a fund of RM50 million to develop the downstream activities for this POIC, and the balance of the fund would be for the second phase of development, which will also include the setting of the water treatment plant in a later part because we still have land in that region."
However, Mohidin said the development of Phase II would depend on the cost of the facilities required. He stressed that there were thousands of hectares of land that had been developed with oil palm within hinterland, and that it would be of great potential to set up the POIC project there. "When the project is in operation, we may be able to produce our own cooking oil, soap and other items related to the palm oil activities in the future.
Bintulu : The Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) is not looking into developing any area for the construction of low and medium cost houses in near future, and would instead leave it to private developers and the Housing Development Commission(HDC). "We do not want to be seen as competing with the private developers because they too are capable of providing the low and medium cost units as required by the goverment." said Mohidin Ishak, BDA general manager.
He said Bda had over the last 30 years developed thousands of units at RPR Kidurong Phase 1,2,3, and 4 in Tanjung kidurong. "All the units have been sold. But if it is deemed that we are required to develop low and medium cost houses again, then we may do it," said Mohidin. However, he said BDA was coordinating with HDC on the latter's project with the national housing Commission(SPN) to develop and construct low cost houses and flats in the Sungai Plan region.
With such developments in the pipeline, Mohidin hoped that those still squatting on goverment land would be able to purchase their own houses in the near future. Meanwhile, according to mohidin, over 2,000 units of low and medium cost houses had been approved for construction, with some completed in the last five years.
"this shows that the goverment is making available for the people to own either a low or medium cost house," he said, and added that the houses were developed by private developers.
The second POIC would be located in the Similajau area and another RM50 mln. has been allocated for its development at a later stage. On KINDA 1, Mohidin said the light industrial area has since seen the growth of both light-medium and semi-heavy industries, and there is also a cement manufacturing factory there as well. meanwhile, he admitted that there were still quite a number of squatters on the land where the project is to take place.
"I am appealing to these people who are still squatting on that land to leave the area in order to have this project smoothly implemented." he said. "This development project is for the benefit of all the people because it would create better job opportunities for them later on." When asked whether the authority had issued the squatters with a grace period to move out of the area Mohidin replied, "We leave it to the Land and Survey department on the matter.
"We are also seeking the assistance from the Bintulu member of parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing to explain to these squatters on the matter." He added, "But, we hope the people there would give their full support by moving out from that area with a positive mind." Mohidin said the people of Bintulu should be looking forward to achieving city status by 2020.
"We have to move in tandem together. We do not want a city that still has a squatters around,' he said and added that it was unhygienic and unhealthy for people to stay in the squatter area as there are no basic amenities. He felt that the people should be equipped with knowledge in line with current development trends to be on par with others.
Source : The Borneo Post