Sabah PMR 2025 A Boon For Tawau, Bringing Economic Blessings To Locals

Barnama

17-05-2025

TAWAU, May 17 (Bernama) -- The three-day Sabah MADANI Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025, held at the Tawau Municipal Council Square and concluded on May 11, proved to be a significant boost for the local community.
The organisation of Sabah PMR 2025 not only benefited visitors attending the programme but also provided a positive economic boost to local industry players, including those in the accommodation, transportation, food and beverage sectors, as well as dried seafood vendors.
Homestay operator Siti Fatima Hari, 55, said that three houses owned by her family, one in Taman Muhibbah Jaya and two in Taman Semarak Indah, were fully booked for a week at a rate of RM300 per night.
'Bookings were made a month in advance, and my guests came from Kota Kinabalu, Putrajaya, and Kuala Lumpur. They arrived two days before the PMR event to make early preparations for the programme.
'Although my homestays were fully booked, I continued to receive numerous inquiries. I politely declined and referred them to friends who also run homestays. I received more than 10 calls asking about availability during that period,' she told Bernama.
Another homestay entrepreneur, Rosa Belle Edward, 48, from Taman Ria Heights, said her two-storey accommodation with four rooms, which she has been operating for the past two years, was rented out at RM300 per night for a week to government employees from Kuala Lumpur who were involved in the PMR.
'From what they told me, most hotels in Tawau were fully booked for the PMR event, even though they had made their reservation with me a month before the programme date,' she said.
'I am grateful that this government-led programme for the people has opened up income opportunities for me and the local community. Many have also rented vehicles for their convenience in travelling around the town,' she said.
For Rosnani Mukbar, 53, a food stall trader near the Tawau Municipal Council Square, food sales also increased during the PMR event. One of her featured items was nasi kuning daun pisang (yellow rice wrapped in banana leaves), sold at RM6 per packet.