/// East Malaysia Property News
10,000 More Afforadle
Homes to Be Built in Sabah
Sabah Ideally Located for Green Energy
Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan
The Federal government plans to build more than
10,000 low-cost houses and 1Malaysia People’s
Housing (PR1MA) units in Sabah next year.
Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government
Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the main
areas of focus would cover Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran,
Sandakan, Kota Belud and Lahad Datu.
“The government is committed to providing about
6,000 affordable houses in Inanam, Kota Kinabalu.
The Public Private Partnership Unit has also
committed to 3,000 houses under the 1Malaysia Civil
Servants Housing project in Tuaran.
“An additional 2,000 to 3,000 will be built by the
National Housing Department under the ministry
and the 10,000 units planned by the government
doesn’t include those from the private sector,” he
said.
He added that the move was to alleviate the squatter
problem which was still plaguing big towns in the
state, especially Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu as well
as other districts such as Lahad Datu.
Meanwhile in Terengganu, 10 more participants will
be selected to participate in Phase Two of the Suri@
home programme scheduled to begin next month,
East Coast Economic Region Development Council
(ECERDC) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Jebasingam
Issace John said.
He said participants for the programme, aimed at
eradicating poverty among housewives, would be
selected by the Terengganu Family Development
Foundation (YPKT).
“The programme which targets housewives and
single mothers is aimed at encouraging them to
carry out songket business from home , providing an
income of between RM1,500 and RM2,000 a month,
“ he said adding that the implementation of the
programme provided opportunities for housewives
and single mothers to increase their income, as well
as employment for local residents.
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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Most of the world’s energy demands have
been met through the use of fossil fuels
which are cheap, cost effective and used to
be abundant in supply.
However, the finite nature of fossil
fuel resources that are depleting at an
increasing rate coupled with the effects
on the environment, global warming and
climate change due to the extensive use
of fossil fuels for energy have driven global
economies to explore clean and sustainable
energy resources or better known as
renewable energy.
The main appeal of renewable energy is that
it does not cause pollution. For this reason,
renewable energy is also often referred to as
‘green energy’, said Institute of Development
Studies (IDS) Executive Director Datuk Mohd
Hasnol Ayub.
Hasnol said this in his welcome speech
at a seminar on the ‘Greening of Sabah:
Renewable energy options for the
near future’ organised by Institute for
Development Studies (IDS) in partnership
with Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung (KAS) of
Germany.
“Nevertheless, only 16.4% of the current
total global energy consumption comes
from renewable energy with 10% of
energy derived from biomass, 3.4% from
hydroelectricity and 3% from energy
produced from new renewable energies
such as small hydro, modern biomass, wind,
solar, geothermal and biofuels,” he said.
Ayub said that in terms of electricity
generation, the share of renewable energy
is approximately 19% with 16% of electricity
coming from hydroelectricity and 3% from
new renewable energy sources.
He said that the Malaysian government
has been fully committed in its efforts to
promote and develop renewable energy
technology in order to turn the country into
a green economy and society.
“This is evident from the nationwide green
technology initiatives that have been
undertaken since the launching of the
National Green Technology Policy in 2009
by our Prime Minister. The government is
also committed towards adopting green
technology as the country’s economic driver
in the future.
“With this in mind, the growth potential
of the renewable energy sector in Sabah
especially from the new renewable is
boundless with the strong prospects to
contribute significantly to both the state and
country’s transformation into a high valueadded economy,” he said.
Ayub was of the opinion that Sabah’s
equatorial location is excellent for solar and
its widespread tropical forests can provide
large quantities of biomass. In addition the
waters surrounding much of Sabah as well
as its tidal flow there is a prospect for the
development of ocean renewable energy,
he said.
From a longer term perspective, renewable
energy is in fact a practical option and one
sector that could become a major source of
regional energy supply as well as economic
growth and job creation, he stressed.
There are large untapped opportunities in
the sector and th H