Sabah Polls: Jamawi Wants To Focus On Housing , Agriculture In Melalap

By Muhammad Saufee Rosman dan Arthur Edward

TENOM,  Nov 20  (Bernama) -- Housing issues and the empowerment of the agricultural sector will be the main priorities of Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Melalap seat, Datuk Jamawi Ja’afar, should he be given the mandate in the 17th Sabah State Election.

Jamawi, 51, said he aims to expand low-cost housing projects under the Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB) to meet the needs of local residents, as current projects are insufficient to cope with growing demand.

He said the matter is urgent, as many households, particularly in rural areas, accommodate up to four generations under one roof, a situation that can strain family relationships and potentially lead to social issues.

“I am grateful to have brought in an LPPB housing project that is now 70 per cent complete, but it is still nowhere near enough. There are only 50 houses, yet we have received 412 applications so far.

“If we (PH) are given the mandate, it will make it easier for us to secure additional allocations to build more homes in the Melalap area, particularly to meet the needs of young people,” he told Bernama recently.

Apart from that, he also intends to resolve the issue of delayed commercial building lot construction, which has been stalled for years due to cost constraints despite the site having long been prepared.

“We can collaborate with companies from the Peninsula to develop shophouses and public housing,” he said, adding that the town in Melalap currently has only one commercial building lot, and its structure is in a severely dilapidated condition.

On the agriculture front, Jamawi, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in the field, plans to propose that the Sabah Government gazette suitable forest areas as permanent food production parks under the State Agriculture Department, similar to the model in Tawau.

The Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) graduate said this initiative would create opportunities for youths interested in agricultural ventures while helping them boost their income.

 Regarding the agriculture sector, Jamawi, who is an agriculture graduate from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM), plans to apply to the Sabah government to gazette suitable forest areas as permanent food production parks under the State Agriculture Department, like in Tawau. 

This approach, he said, could provide opportunities for youths who are interested in venturing into the field, in addition to increasing their source of income.

He said his background as a former agricultural officer also added value to efforts to develop the agricultural sector in the Melalap constituency.

The Melalap state constituency is located in the Tenom parliamentary constituency, about 130 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu and in the 17th Sabah State Election

Jamawi will be in an eight-cornered fight for the seat, which has 21,320 registered voters.

The polling day for the 17th Sabah State Election, involving 73 state constituencies, is set for Nov 29, while the early voting is on Nov 25.

According to the Election Commission (EC) statistics, a total of 1,784,843 voters are eligible to exercise their responsibilities in this election. They consist of 1,760,417 ordinary voters, 11,697 military personnel and their spouses and 12,729 police personnel and their spouses.

For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, please visit

https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php 

N42: MELALAP: SABAH: 21,320

1. Gabriel George Tulas     (Bebas)

2. Priscella Peter                (KDM)

3. Datuk Jamawi Ja’afar    (PH-PKR)

4. Alviana Linus                  (STAR)

5. Cheld Bryend Lind         (Warisan)

6. Junik Bajit                      (UPKO)

7. Kevin Chong                  (PIS)

8. Fatimah Ibrahim            (Bebas)

(2020: Peter Anthony: Warisan Plus-Warisan: Maj: 1,719)

-- BERNAMA