IPOH, May 11 — Perak aims to install 1,000 units of smart solar streetlights in areas in need, including the interior and Orang Asli villages, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
He said the installation of these lights, costing over RM7,000 per unit depending on specifications, would be done in stages over a period of 12 months.
“Many Orang Asli villagers complain that there is a lack of adequate lighting and demand that the state government install streetlights.
“There used to be a programme where the electricity bill was financed by the Rural Development Ministry (now the Rural and Regional Development Ministry), but there were too many villages which caused the government not to be able to pay for it.
“With this technology, there will be no issue with electricity bills anymore because it uses solar energy and allows us to save cost,” he told reporters after officiating at the Perak Techno Trade Centre (PTTC) @ Meru Raya building preservation programme with the use of smart solar street lightings and rooftop solar panel here last night.
Saarani said the state government would conduct a detailed study to identify the locations that require solar lighting and need to be prioritised because they receive many applications from all over the state, including Felda settlements.
Meanwhile, he said that more administrative areas in the state, including Manjung and Tanjung Malim, have the potential to achieve the status of a city.
“Apart from Manjung, which has already expressed its readiness, Tanjung Malim is also expected to see an increase in population when many industrial workers move to the area. Therefore, many facilities will be built, such as schools, markets and hospitals, which will encourage the development of a new city,” he said.
However, several criteria need to be fulfilled and approved by the Local Government Development Ministry, such as the number of residents, to gain recognition as a city, he added.
He said the state government also plans to provide additional housing to accommodate the increase in population, adding that there needs to be an entity that controls the development towards achieving city status.
