KOTA KINABALU, May 10 – The government, through the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW), has allocated RM1.06 billion to develop 224 infrastructure projects in Sabah this year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the projects include Rural Roads (JALB), Rural Bridges (JMLB), Rural Water Supply (BALB), Rural Electricity Supply (BELB) and Area Development Projects (PPK).
He said experience showed that many projects faced implementation constraints in Sabah, hence close cooperation between the federal and state governments is important to overcome the challenges.
“The Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) has decided that projects up to RM50 million will be implemented by the state government and those above RM50 million by KKDW, with the Public Works Department as the implementing agency. This coordination must be done.
“This is so that stakeholders feel there is coordination between the state government and KKDW. That’s why we called for a meeting to coordinate between the minister and exco member overseeing rural areas so that we can collectively help in implementing these projects,” he said.
