TAWAU, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The government is committed to developing Tawau and Kalabakan into modern agricultural hubs and training centres for the High-Level Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Hi-TVET) Programme, in line with the areas’ strong potential.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the initiative is not a seasonal offer nor linked to the 17th Sabah State Election, but rather part of the federal government’s plan to modernise the agricultural sector and produce a highly skilled workforce in Sabah.
“Tawau and Kalabakan have tremendous potential for development because the land is very fertile. The area should be developed with not only traditional agriculture, but also modern agriculture,” he said.
He said this after attending the Sentuhan Kasih Desa@Tanjung Batu Programme and the First Khatam ceremony of the Pre-Tahfiz Sabah Kemas kindergarten students at the Tawau Sports Complex today.
Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Community Development director-general Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Man.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said modern agriculture requires systematically trained and highly skilled workers, with TVET serving as the core of economic transformation in the region.
He said the introduction of high-value agro-technology TVET would position Tawau as the new TVET hub in Sabah.
Although Sabah currently has 24 GiatMARA centres and a MARA Skills Institute (IKM) in Kota Kinabalu, he said Tawau needs a Hi-TVET centre to enhance the marketability of local youths.
A new polytechnic has also been identified for development in Tawau to strengthen the district’s skills training ecosystem, said Ahmad Zahid, adding that these initiatives form part of the government’s long-term development agenda and are not temporary promises.
“We are emphasising this not because of the election. These plans were set from the beginning, and we want to ensure their immediate implementation in this region,” he said.
The Election Commission has set Nov 29 as the polling day for the 17th Sabahy State Election.
For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, please visit the portal https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php
-- BERNAMA
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