
91 Togudon folks finally get titles over 157 hectares
Published on: Thu, Aug 07, 2025
By: Bernama Text Size: Ewon added that the handover marked the end of a long-standing wait for the villagers to finally obtain rightful ownership of their land. PENAMPANG: A total of 91 residents of Kampung Togudon received their land titles today, under the Native Customary Land Service Programme of Sabah (Pantas), said Penampang Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Ewon Benedick. Ewon, who is also Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, said that the land titles, covering 157.37 hectares, were handed over as part of the first phase of distribution, from a total of 982 hectares surveyed under the Pantas initiative.
Advertisement 'I am aware that the residents of Kampung Togudon have been waiting for land ownership for many years. As soon as I was elected as the MP for Penampang, this issue became one of my top priorities,' he said. 'Following approval from the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, we began the land survey under Pantas in August last year. Today, we are witnessing the implementation of Phase 1 of the land title handover,' he said during the ceremony held in the village. Ewon added that the handover marked the end of a long-standing wait for the villagers to finally obtain rightful ownership of their land. 'I am confident that this will open a new chapter for economic activities in the village, particularly in the agriculture and rural tourism sectors,' he said.
Advertisement The land survey under Pantas in Kampung Togudon is the first to be carried out in Penampang, and was only initiated after Ewon was elected as the parliamentary constituency's elected representative. Ewon also reaffirmed his commitment to expanding Pantas to other villages, including Kampung Moyog, Kampung Rugading, and Kampung Kibunut. 'I have brought up the need to continue the Pantas Programme in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) 2026-2030 at the Federal Cabinet-level. 'I'm pleased that it has been included in the 13MP, as presented by the Prime Minister under the special development agenda for the Bumiputera communities in Sabah and Sarawak,' he said. 'I will continue to seek the Chief Minister's support to expand Pantas in the areas I represent – namely Penampang and Kadamaian – as most of the funding for this initiative is allocated by the Federal government,' he added. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Focus Malaysia
19 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
Higher retirement age only suitable for certain sectors, says expert
THE proposal to raise the retirement age to 65 should be limited only to specific sectors that require expertise and intellectual skills, according to economist Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff. Ahmed Razman, who is from Universiti Putra Malaysia's Putra Business School, said the move should not be implemented across the board, as there are sectors that require physical strength, which may burden workers as they age. 'Sectors such as education, administration or consultancy are more suitable for considering a higher retirement age as they rely on experience and critical thinking. But for jobs requiring physical labour, it may not be practical,' he told Bernama on Thursday (Aug 7). Yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar announced that the Public Service Department will carry out a comprehensive study on the proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age for civil servants to 65. He said the proposal is still at a preliminary stage and requires in-depth scrutiny before any decision is made. Ahmed Razman said the retirement age issue requires careful consideration as Employees Provident Fund statistics revealed that the majority of contributors from the private sector do not have sufficient savings for retirement. He noted that any increase in the retirement age must be implemented as part of a multi-pronged strategy, including strengthening social protection, utilising wakaf (endowment) assets and introducing the concept of a time bank to address the challenges of caring for an ageing population as Malaysia is expected to become an aged nation by 2043. He explained that a time bank allows individuals to contribute time and effort while they are young, which can later be credited and redeemed as care services in old age, thereby reducing care costs and easing the government's fiscal burden. Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 13th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat on July 31, stated that the mandatory retirement age will be reviewed in line with Malaysia's transition towards an aged nation. The review will involve various aspects, including financial implications and the impact on job opportunities, which must be considered before a final decision is made. In May, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said also proposed raising the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, arguing that individuals at that age remain healthy and can continue contributing productively to the national workforce. Currently, the mandatory retirement age for civil servants is 60, which is also the minimum retirement age for the private sector under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012. ‒ Aug 7, 2025

Barnama
39 minutes ago
- Barnama
Gig Workers' Bill to Be Tabled On Aug 14
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Gig Workers' Bill 2025, a specific legal framework aimed at officially recognising and protecting gig workers, is to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for its first reading on Aug 14, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said the second reading would take place on Aug 26. 'It is during the second reading that the bill will be explained in detail and debated by Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition, before being put to a vote.

The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
No place for hooliganism, violence in sports, says Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed that there is no room for hooliganism or violence in sports, particularly football, as such behaviour goes against the spirit of sportsmanship. The Prime Minister said sports should serve as a unifying force among Malaysians of all backgrounds and must not be tainted by unruly or divisive conduct. "Everyone supports their team or their state or their province, but that does not allow them to create chaos and tolerate hooliganism. So we'll make a difference. Don't import that culture of hooliganism in sports as you read and see and watch on television from the experience of other countries," he said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony of Olympic House here, Thursday (Aug 7). Also present was Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. Anwar said while passion in sports was natural, it should not be used to justify behaviour that contradicted the values of sportsmanship. "People cry when they win and they cry when they lose. You know, which means you cannot deny the passion. But it does not warrant them to take actions which run contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship," he said. He added that greater tolerance was needed, as "intolerance runs contrary to the very spirit of sports - which is about bringing people together, embracing differences, and sharing a deep passion." Anwar also highlighted the unique role of sportsmanship in uniting Malaysians across racial lines, noting that such values were often absent in politics. "There's no language in politics for sportsmanship. Politics is where you kill one another - I mean, not literally, hopefully. But only in sports, not in culture, not in the arts, not in economic rivalry. "But in sports, there is this term called sportsmanship, which essentially means you must work hard, try to excel and win - but also accept that the best man, woman, or team will win. And that is the spirit of sportsmanship," he said. Reflecting on Malaysia's past, which was at times marked by racial antagonism, Anwar recalled how sports like football and badminton served as powerful unifying forces during those difficult periods. "It doesn't matter whether he's Malay, Chinese, Dayak or Indian - we consider them all Malaysian. And that's what I feel we need to promote. But of course, we also need to excel. "So everybody's waiting - under Hannah and now with Norza (Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria) - where we expect at least one gold medal from the Olympics. Otherwise, they'll be in trouble," he said jokingly. Sharing a personal anecdote, Anwar said he often advised his grandchildren, who sometimes got upset after losing in games like chess or football. "I said, I told them that's not the spirit. The spirit of course, is to win, but the sportsmanship, the the term sportsmanship is such a value-laden term. You do try your best, you try and excel, but you accept it (loss) in a sportsman's fashion," he added. - Bernama