KOTA KINABALU: Only 24 fishermen in Sandakan received fisheries incentives from 2020 to 2025, a figure Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir says is far too low given the needs of the community.
Suhaimi, who is also a nominated Sabah assemblyman, said the aid included 15hp outboard engines, fishing nets of various sizes, crab traps, full sets of fishing equipment, and lifejackets.
“This number is unjustifiably small. In Libaran alone, there are 368 registered fishermen under the Libaran Area Fishermen Association, and that’s not even counting those from other parts of Sandakan,” he told the state assembly during its recent sitting.
He urged the state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry to be more proactive in ensuring that fishermen in Sandakan, including those in Libaran, receive much-needed support.
Suhaimi said his office continued to receive complaints from fishermen still in need of basic equipment, especially outboard engines and nets.
On the seaweed farming programme on Nunuyan Island, Suhaimi said it was implemented in 2021 and involved 14 fishermen.
“This programme should have been carried out annually until now to help diversify income sources for the fishermen,” he added.
He also urged the state government to allocate more funds to build new jetties in Libaran, as many of the existing ones are in disrepair and no longer usable.
