KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is unhappy with the performance of district officers in the state.
He said the implementation of projects in Sabah was "very slow" despite the disbursement of funds by the government to all districts.
“Fulfil your responsibilities well and serve the people of Sabah,” he said during a meeting with district officers at the Sabah Government Administrative Centre here yesterday (July 11).
Mohd Shafie, who is also state Finance Minister, added that in most districts in Sabah, planning was so haphazard that at times, houses of worship, car workshops and restaurants could be found located next to each other.
“The zoning of areas is not implemented according to plan. Schools are built in locations already zoned for industrial purposes.
“Some years later, the school has to be relocated to make way for an industrial park. This is not only inconvenient but can cost huge amounts of money. All because of bad planning,” he said.
He added that it was important for district officers to administer and manage areas under their jurisdiction more systematically for the wellbeing of the people.
Mohd Shafie also told the district officers to know their districts well by constantly going down to the ground to identify what was lacking in infrastructure, as well as tackle any social issues.
“Find out what are the real problems in your districts. Places such as Lahad Datu where security is of the utmost concern, the district officer must make security the top priority among others.
“(District officers should also) be resourceful in finding solutions to problems that affect the wellbeing of the people and to provide regular feedback on the progress of projects in their districts.”