Raymond will contest in Tamparuli.
KOTA KINABALU: Community-environment conservationist and academician, Dr Raymond Alfred, will be one of the new faces contending in the upcoming state polls.
Raymond told the Borneo Post that he would be representing one of the third force parties in the Tamparuli state assembly seat.
He has already decided to introduce a pilot project dubbed the MyCommunity (Home Sweet Home and My Retirement Place) in Tamparuli if he is successful in the feat.
“My vision in Tamparuli is to create a better everyday life for all people of Sabah and to ensure our future generation’s security and socio-economy is sustainably managed by offering a wide range of well-designed platform that enable various levels of Sabahans to participate in managing Sabah’s resources, and share the benefits equally among them.
“This will enhance the value of land in Tamparuli in the next five to 15 years and help raise the living standard of the folks in Tamparuli,” he said.
The MyCommunity programme is initiated by a group of experts/specialists such as PhD holders and new generation youth led by Raymond himself.
“The key components of the programme consist of identifying the demographic pattern and social issues of the locals and the identification of basic infrastructure or mechanism that is required to create better everyday life for all people of the area.
“It also consists of a land zoning exercise will be undertaken through spatial assessment to ensure maximum benefit could be created through smart agricultural programme.
“The programme also includes identifying potential investors and linking them with landowners in Tamparuli for the creation of tourism products/sites that enables patrons to undertake cycling activities, culture, golfing and so on,” he said.
Raymond added that capacity building programme which would include the development of long-term career development for youths would also be identified.
“We will also identify and ensure the security of the people of Tamparuli is addressed, monitored and solved through the use of ICT and close cooperation with the government of the day (State and Federal), especially the relevant authorities, and we will also look into the marketing and promotion of the products that are created through this programme and market them in and out of Sabah.”
Raymond was part of the SMART team (Group of PhD Holders) conducting the community economic development enhanced programme in Semporna (seaweed) and Kinabatangan (carbon).
He would also use the connection, business network and the experience that he had gathered in Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries during his previous tenure in the said countries to support MyCommunity programme.