BY-ELECTION: NAIM MOKTAR VOWS TO UPLIFT RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE, FISHERMEN AND YOUTH

KINABATANGAN, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar said he will focus on improving rural road access and empowering the fishermen’s economy if elected as the constituency’s representative.

He said road conditions in several rural areas, including Karamuak, remain unsatisfactory, making daily life difficult for residents and affecting local economic activities.

The Kinabatangan UMNO Youth chief, better known as Naim Moktar, said it is his aspiration to ensure all rural areas enjoy better road access, in line with efforts previously implemented by the late incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, his father..

“Among the projects that are ongoing or have been completed are Jalan Sinaron, Jalan Penanga and  Jalan Karamuak.

“After basic infrastructure is completed, the next challenge is to improve the residents’ economy, especially river and sea fishermen who often face difficulties in marketing their catch as well as issues of unstable selling prices,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Kurniawan Naim, who is also UMNO Youth treasurer, said among the commitments in his manifesto is the establishment of seafood and river produce collection centres at the village level to help coordinate, store and market residents’ produce to larger and more competitive markets.

He believes the move will not only increase the selling value of fishermen’s catch but also provide better income returns compared to reliance on local middlemen.

“If I am given the mandate, I will ensure that villagers’ produce can be marketed more widely so that they enjoy better income,” he said, adding that he expects to launch his manifesto next week.

The BN Youth Executive Council member also stressed the importance of empowering youth in Kinabatangan through a proposal to utilise old buildings, including party headquarters and polling district centres  as youth centres.

According to him, many buildings constructed previously are only used during election periods and should be fully utilised for the benefit of local youth.

“This proposal includes temporarily converting existing buildings into youth centres that can host activities such as e-sports, table tennis, leadership training, community programmes and various other beneficial activities,” he said.

He said the effort would not only revitalise the role of the buildings but also help reduce social ills by providing dedicated spaces for young people to gather positively.

Mohd Kurniawan Naim added that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is also part of his manifesto to provide skills training opportunities for youth, which has proven to be an important pathway towards generating more stable income.

“TVET is highly relevant for young people who may not excel academically but are talented in technical fields,” he said.

Meanwhile, he expressed confidence that initiatives involving infrastructure development, the fishermen’s economy and youth empowerment would serve as catalysts in building a more competitive and progressive rural community in Kinabatangan.

The Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election sees Mohd Kurniawan Naim contesting against Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan) and Goldam Hamid (Independent), while the Lamag state by-election involves a straight fight between Mohd Ismail Ayob (BN) and Mazliwati Abdul Malek (Warisan).

Both by-elections are being held following the death of incumbent Bung Moktar, 66, on Dec 5 last year. The Election Commission has set polling day on Jan 24, with early voting on Jan 20.

-- BERNAMA