November 03, 2009 10:44 AM

LKIM's Complex In Tok Bali Set To Open Despite Setbacks

By Wan Muhamad Wan Adam

PASIR PUTEH, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The Fisheries Complex in Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh earmarked to transform the lives of the local fishing community, is yet to see the light of the day.

The complex is among the mega projects under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) development programme and it belongs to the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM).

The complex is supposed to serve as an economic growth centre for Pasir Puteh and change for good this fishing township located close to the coastline.

Nevertheless, the complex that was supposed to start operations after Aidilfitri could only start operations next year due to technicalities as pointed out by LKIM's Deputy Director General, Mohad Khazin Hamzah.

"This is because problems in the electrical wiring that is yet to be sorted out by the contractor who was given the tender," he said when met here.

But the woes doesn't stop there, despite the noble aims, locals see the development of the complex and the surrounding area being very slow.

The RM80 million complex has a myriad of facilities including special areas to land fish, wharfs, processing centre for fish based products, sales centre, subsidised diesel/petrol and administrative offices.

BUILT IN PHASES

The complex is located on a 40 hectare site and is built in several phases since the last five years. It is located at a strategic area about one kilometer from the South China Sea and is accessible through the Terusan Semerak.

However, Mohad is confident of the complex's invaluable contribution to the local economy once its starts operations.

Mohad expects the complex to be patronised daily by more than 1,000 people especially fish wholesalers from all over Kelantan and certain parts of Terengganu to source fresh fishes at reasonable prices.

The Tok Bali Complex has many advantages compared with its counterpart in Kuantan and Terengganu especially when comes to the volume of fishes that can be landed.

He said between 300 and 400 deep sea fishing vessels and the coastal fishermen at present land their catch at various locations but when the complex starts operations they would have no choice but to land their catch there.

COMPLEX OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR FISHERMEN

The complex area also has 15 sites to accommodate projects that will be implemented under ECER to boost the economic growth of the area.

He pointed out that the complex provides greater opportunities for poor fishermen to work and do business there.

The poorer section of the fishing community there will have the opportunity to own better houses through the housing programme for the hardcore poor costing RM27 million.

Apart from this, the development of the area is expected to move into high gear when the new 10km road from Alor Pasir is completed. Work on the road was abandoned several times as the contractors failed to adhere to the regulations.

The road costing more than RM60 million will span across Sungai Semerak and is expected to make life easy for dwellers in Jajahan Machang, Kuala Krai and Tanah Merah including Jeli as it cuts the traveling distance by almost five kilometres from Tebing Tinggi to Tok Bali.

Meanwhile, the Semerak Fishermen's Association Chairman Datuk Mohd Jelani Jaafar hoped the complex will start operations immediately without anymore delays and excuses.

LOCALS CAN'T WAIT FOR THE COMPLEX TO

"We want the complex to be opened immediately, we have waited patiently all this while, we too want to get a taste of real development and don't want it to be delayed any further," he said.

He said the fishing community including those from Besut, Bachok, Kota Baharu, Tumpat and Semerak has been landing the fishes daily at private jetties all over the place without any proper amenities.

Mohd Jelani who was the former Barisan Nasional's state assemblyman for Semerak noted that the complex will be very useful especially during the rainy season from November to January.

The complex will provide a safe place for boats to anchor especially during rough seas.

However, a brief study conducted by Bernama found that locals are unhappy with the state of the Tok Bali town and the development projects are just too slow.

Moreover, the fisheries complex is not expected to bring down the prices of the fishes to the locals as even now their prices are no different than in Pasir Puteh or Kota Baharu.

A housewife Nik Aishah Nik Hassan, 48, from Kampung Sungai Kelong, Pasir Puteh provided an example that the ikan kembung (mackerel) is sold in Tok Bali at RM9 per kilo at the Pasir Puteh Main Market and in the nearby Seri Aman without significant difference in the price and quality.

"To save cost it is better that I buy them at the Pasir Puteh market as I need not travel all the way to buy the fishes in Tok Bali," she said.

The manager of Syarikat Perikanan Laut Dalam Jet-7 (M) Sdn Bhd, Abdul Rahman Hamat stressed that the company has never raised the prices of fishes and has maintained the prices with the ikan kembung selling between RM7 and RM8 per kilo.

He said the increase in prices is due to some unscrupulous middlemen who buy the fishes immediately after they are landed and sell them at high prices to nearby consumers for a quick profit.

-- BERNAMA

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