Day Two On The Trail, Kurniawan Naim Takes Campaign To Water Village

KINABATANGAN, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Continuing his active campaign trail, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar today reached out to voters in Pulau Tanjung Aru, pledging to prioritise youth empowerment and local development if elected as the people’s representative.

He said attention would also be given to infrastructure development and local social needs to improve the well-being of residents in the area.

“I will focus on development in this village, where some infrastructure is already outdated and in need of upgrading, including the construction of new buildings such as a mosque, a community hall and sports facilities like futsal and volleyball courts, among others,” he told reporters here today.

He was speaking after a meeting with residents of Pulau Tanjung Aru, which Kimanis UMNO division chief Datuk Mohamad Alamin also attended.

Mohd Kurniawan Naim, 32, said creating more job opportunities for youths is also a main focus to ensure they do not migrate to urban areas in search of more stable sources of income.

He added that the potential of the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector in Pulau Tanjung Aru should be harnessed more strategically, particularly through cooperation with the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry (KUSKOP) to help young people venture into entrepreneurship.

The Kinabatangan UMNO Youth chief said support in the form of skills training, access to financing and business mentoring could open up new employment opportunities while creating more sustainable sources of income for youths.

“Job opportunities in this village are quite limited, with most residents relying on selling their daily catch from the sea and engaging in small-scale farming.

“Initiatives such as TEKUN Nasional, especially through microfinancing for small entrepreneurs, are important to ensure that their businesses can grow and generate income above the current minimum wage,” he said.

Mohd Kurniawan Naim said that if given the mandate, issues related to development, employment opportunities and youth welfare would be raised in Parliament to ensure that the needs of residents in Pulau Tanjung Aru receive due attention and are addressed effectively.

Pulau Tanjung Aru is a water village located about three nautical miles (5.5 kilometres) from Sandakan town, with the majority of its residents being fishermen.

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

The by-elections are being held following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, 66, on Dec 5.

The Election Commission has set a 14-day campaign period beginning yesterday until 11.59 pm on Jan 23, with polling day on Jan 24 and early voting on Jan 20. 

Meanwhile, BN candidate for Lamag, Mohd Ismail Ayob, has also placed youth empowerment and local development as his main campaign priorities.

Mohd Ismail, popularly known as Miha, 44, said Lamag requires continuous advocacy to ensure it does not lag behind in various aspects, including employment opportunities, sports, education, as well as basic amenities such as water and electricity supply.

“All infrastructure and economic development plans can only be implemented smoothly if voters choose a representative who is aligned with the state and Federal governments.

“It would be a loss for the people of Lamag if they were to choose the opposition.

“What we need is a representative who has access to allocations and maintains good relations with the government to effectively voice the people’s concerns,” he told reporters when met at Kampung Pengkalan Bukit Garam here today.

Earlier, as part of his campaign activities, Mohd Ismail joined youths in playing volleyball at Kampung Kasih Sayang and Kampung Muhibbah, and also mingled with participants of the ‘Santai Beliawanis’ programme.

-- BERNAMA