TAWAU: The Kalabakan parliamentary constituency which was formerly under Tawau district, has received approval to become a full district said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Jaujan Sambakong.
According to Jaujan, Kalabakan and Tawau have become too large for a district and turning Kalabakan township into a district was a move to develop the area.
“If Kalabakan is not turned into a full district it would be difficult for Tawau to administer the area as well as to develop Kalabakan.
“In the case of Kuching, Sarawak, due to the vast area the city was divided into Kuching North and South but here there is no area division as Kalabakan is a district by itself,” he said adding that Tawau district covers an area of 6,000 sq km which was the size of Negeri Sembilan.
Jaujan who is also Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister, said this to reporters after he was briefed on Tawau municipal development at the Tawau Municipal Council here today.
Meanwhile, Jaujan said the ministry was also planning on the construction of the Keningau-Sipitang highway to Tawau which could cut travel distance and time for residents travelling from the east to the west coast of Sabah. - Bernama