Zahid: Rural and Regional Development Ministry spends RM526m on infrastructure projects in Sarawak as of June 2023
KUCHING, July 3 — The federal Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has spent RM526 million for several development projects involving basic infrastructure in rural areas for the wellbeing of the people in Sarawak as of last month, its minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
The deputy prime minister said these included the construction of the Jalan Meritam Telahak/Bong Abai (Phase 4) in Limbang Division and the road project leading to Skuyat Lama longhouse in Betong Division, at a total cost of RM170 million.
“In addition, a total of 14 rural water supply projects valued atRM302.9 million have been completed,” he told reporters after co-chairing the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development’s second coordination committee meeting with the Sarawak government here.
He said a total of 294 rural roads and social amenity programme projects have also been completed while an allocation of RM52.9 million has been approved involving 149 projects.
The deputy prime minister added that KKDW had also completed 410 houses under the poor people’s housing programme, adding that a total of 2,457 others have been repaired throughout Sarawak until June 15, 2023.
Ahmad Zahid said KKDW had also approved a total of 373 new houses to be built under the poor people’s housing programme and will repair a total of 1,192 more throughout Sarawak this year.
He said some of the project plans that were presented at the first meeting have been more than 90 per cent implemented.
He said the coordination committee will do some follow-up on the remaining 10 per cent.
“The coordination committee meeting is quite important because we are able to find out directly about some of the problems faced by the Sarawak governments that need to be solved urgently, especially in the implementation of projects in rural areas,” he said.
He said for the rural electricity and water supply, the decision was made today by the coordination committee and will be implemented directly by the Rural Water Supply Department (JALB) and this will simplify its implementation because it will no longer have to go through another department.
“This approach is important for the people of Sarawak as a whole and I will do the same for Sabah and other states,” he said.
