KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has called for the setting up of a federal regional development authority for northern districts in Sabah to specifically eradicate poverty and spearhead orderly land-based economic development in the region.

Its deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili who is also Bandau MP made the call when debating the Budget 2004 allocation for the Federal Rural Development Ministry in Parliament Wednesday.

He said in Peninsular Malaysia, there were about a dozen land-based development authorities charged with planning, financing and implementing poverty eradication programmes in various states and zones through development of agricultural land, basic amenities and townships.

“As a result, income levels of small-time farmers have improved tremendously and in the process drastically reduced poverty incidence,” he said.

Maximus said in Sabah and Sarawak, there was no such regional development authority aside from several integrated agricultural development projects in Sarawak.

“In light of the persistent incidence of poverty in northern Sabah which includes the districts and sub-districts of Banggi, Kudat, Pitas, Matunggong, Kota Marudu and Beluran, the setting up of a regional development authority for the region is badly needed,” he said.

He said it could be an adapted version of those in existence in the peninsula and given specific task of planning, implementing and coordinating land-based development programmes including food production, export crops and township development.

Maximus added that the setting up and implementation of such a regional development authority could halve the rate of poverty in the northern region within three to four years.