PAITAN: Seventy percent of problems pertaining to documents of the local folk in the rural coastal sub-district Paitan has been resolved since the mobile court was initiated over a decade ago.
Like other rural areas with isolated villages and lacking government premises, problems relating to undocumented locals is common in the sub-district administered by assistant district officer Joe Joloning Majambu.
"Many births and even deaths cannot be registered early and the mobile court has helped to resolve this. Although 70 per cent of undocumented problems have been solved, it does not mean the matter will end there.
"The problem is like a contagious disease. If parents do not have documents or late in obtaining birth certificates, their children will go through the same difficulty (in getting necessary documents)," said Joe.
The undocumented chain among rural folks, he said, would be hard to break as it had reached up to the fifth generation.
He stressed the mobile court service must continue to resolve the plight of locals, just as how they had assisted a 68-year-old individual in getting a birth certificate and MyKad.
"I hope that the existing programme can continue until we arrive at a point where the lack of documentation is no longer caused by accessibility issues," he said.
With an area of 2,446 per sq km, Paitan sub-district is home to diverse ethnic groups with Sungai people forming the majority. Other groups are the Dusun, Rungus, and Bajau.
There are 65 villages in the sub-district which neighbours Beluran, Ranau, Pitas, Telupid, and Kota Marudu. While Paitan is accessible after road connecting districts was constructed in 2004, many villages remain unreachable by small vehicles.
Paitan people also have to travel far to other districts if they need to handle matters at government offices or agencies.
Joe said the main economic activity was oil palm plantation, which covers 50 per cent of the vast land. The remaining 30 per cent was a forest reserve, while 20 per cent was gazetted village area.
"Many of the locals are working with plantation companies, farming and tapping rubber. Those residing along the coastal areas and Jambongan island are into fishing.
"These reveal Paitan's potential to become a full district. We continuously push for the upgrade so development in Paitan can take place smoothly.
"As we know, most existing government departments and agencies are focused in Beluran," he said, adding the road journey from Paitan to Beluran was about two hours.
Based on 2010 census, Joe said Paitan population was recorded at 29,100. He estimated the local population would increase to 35,000 people, and about 50,000 including foreign plantation workers.
On poverty, he said there were 1,486 households under the category as at March 31 data. Of the figure, 25 per cent was hardcore poor, 45 per cent poor, while 30 per cent were out of the poverty line.
As for tourism, Joe said they had identified Ulu Lingkabau for its pristine waterfall and Jambongan island where international sailors plying the Sulu sea usually dock at as potential tourism products to be developed.