18/01/2016 (Daily Express) - About 100 people from Melalap signed a protest letter to the District Council whom they alleged to have proposed to change the zoning of their village into a special industrial site.

The group, led by a former Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) candidate in the last general election, Jimmy Jawatah, handed the letter to District Officer Madiyem Layappan.

According to him, villagers protested the proposed development of a palm oil mill and palm kernel in the area.

They came to know about this proposal after receiving a notice dating Dec 15 last year.

He said villagers were concerned about their health and the environmental effects as a result of the mills operation.

He pointed out that the villagers had already suffered in the past as a result of foul smell coming from another palm oil mill near Kg Pulong. They also blamed the mill for causing flies to infest their homes.

"We don't want this to happen to us again. If we remain silent, our sufferings will prolong," Jimmy said while thanking the District Officer for allowing them to express their views.

He added that the building of another mill will further change the demography in the area caused by the influx of foreign workers.