KIMANIS, Jan 12 — The Sabah government is looking into the possibility of setting up a new district office in the Kimanis parliamentary constituency to make it easier for residents who now perform government-related transactions in two different districts.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the proposed district office would be located between Membakut and Bongawan.
He said the proposal had been forwarded to State Secretary Datuk Safar Untong and a committee was studying the matter.
“I just said the district office should be located right in the centre, not in Membakut and not in Bongawan. Otherwise, Membakut residents would have to walk far (to the office) and the same goes for Bongawan people.
“This office needs to be set up for the benefit of the public, to facilitate their dealing (with the government),” he told reporters after campaigning for the Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) candidate in Kampung Brunei here today.
The Kimanis constituency comprises Bongawan, which is situated south of Papar district, and Membakut in the interior of Beaufort.
Bongawan residents normally deal with the Papar District Office while those in Membakut go to the Beaufort District Office.
Mohd Shafie said the proposal to set up a new district office was first announced by the previous government in 2013 but it was not implemented.
In the January 18 Kimanis by-election, Warisan’s Datuk Karim Bujang, 67, is facing BN’s Datuk Mohamad Alamin, 48, in a straight fight. — Bernama
