KOTA KINABALU: The Government need to assist the Madrasah Tahfiz al-Yatama Yakob Khan in Membakut which has been producing many State Tahfiz champions, said Membakut Assemblyman Datuk Haji Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif.
He said the centre has represented Sabah at the national-level Tahfiz competition for three consecutive years, apart from competing at the Hafazan contest at the State-level.
“I would like to request to the Government to assist this Tahfiz centre, especially by taking over as sponsor for the students’ daily supply. The centre has been relying on contribution from the public and non-governmental organisation all this while,” he said when debating on the 2020 State Budget at the State Legislative Assembly here Tuesday.
Mohd Arifin also requested that the Membakut Health Clinic be upgraded to a district hospital.
“The people of Membakut are hoping that the State Government will follow up on this with the Federal Government, as before this the clinic has been listed for repair,” he said, while also urging the Government to double up efforts to assist in producing more young swiftlet entrepreneurs.
He said this can be carried out through a collaboration between Youth and Sport Ministry and Rural Development Ministry.
Apart from that, he said, effort also need to be made to create a paddy field-based tourism, an integrated paddy planting centre, as well as fish and duck farming, that can turn rural area as a tourism destination.
“This can be realised through the collaboration between the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry and Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry,” he said.
Mohd Arifin also proposed that the Government put a project to construct the Membakut Native Court and Syariah Court buildings in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
“The construction of these buildings are vitally needed for the interest and wellbeing of the people,” he stressed.-pr/BNN
