Awang Tengah (third left) hands out the land title to one of the recipients while Harry (second left) look on.

BAU: An industrial estate will be established in Bau soon to create business and job opportunities to the local people, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

He said they have identified the site for the industrial estate, which is nearby Bau Hospital, and the land acquisition process has started and they have engaged a consultant to do the design.

“Hopefully, it can be implemented within this year. The allocation for the proposed project has been approved.

“We are going to do it in phases, starting with Phase 1 this year,” he told reporters after handing over land titles under Section 18 to the landowners in Kampung Singai area at the Kampung Bobak Sejinjang community hall here yesterday.

Awang Tengah, who is Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development, said the purpose of the industrial estate was to provide opportunities to the people, especially those who are involved in the small and medium industries (SMIs).

Asked on the project cost, he said he could not remember the amount off hand, but the proposal had been presented to him and the Sarawak government had approved the allocation.

He said industrial estate will cover the land size of about 20 acres and it is mainly for small and medium enterprises.

“Well, if you look around in Bau, the agriculture products are so abundant, so the estate is also for processing industry or high end industry. One of them is the food processing, like durian paste. Those who wish to produce handicraft can also use the place,” he said.

Awang Tengah said the Phase One construction works have already been tendered out and if they can process the tender fast, implementation can start early.

Earlier in his speech, he said aside from carrying out the perimeter survey, the survey works on Native Customary Right (NCR) land will also focus on the individual lots under Section 18 on land that have been gazette under Section 6.

He said as of now, a total of 32,302 lots have been surveyed, involving land size of 40,415 hectares. Some have been issued with grants and the rest will follow.

Awang Tengah said the Sarawak government had also approved the recruitment of 467 personnel of various categories into the Land and Survey Department to increase the deliveries.

This, he said, would cost the Sarawak government and additional overhead of RM30 million a year.

He assured the natives in Sarawak that if it is their rights, it will be theirs.

Some 528 land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code were issued to the landowners in Singai zone.

The recipients are from Kampung Sudoh (168), Kampung Atas (214), Kampung Bobak (126) and Kampung Daun (20).

At the ceremony, Awang Tengah also announced RM50,000 allocation to Kampung Bobak Sejinjang to upgrade their community hall.

Assistant Minister for International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Naroden Majais and Tasik Biru assemblyman Dato Henry Harry Jinep were also present.