RM30mil for New Villages from federal, not Perak govt, says MB

 

Perak menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said the housing and local government ministry was responsible for upgrading infrastructure in New Villages while the rural and regional development ministry was responsible for developing rural areas. (Bernama pic)

IPOH: 

The Perak government has denied approving a RM30 million allocation for the development of New Villages in the state, as claimed by an activist recently in a statement that has spread on social media.

Menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said it was a lie that the state government had approved the allocation last year due to political pressure.

He said the funds in question, which the activist had referred to at a ceramah with several opposition leaders, were part of an initiative by the housing and local government ministry to upgrade roads and drains.

It is regrettable that the activist intentionally made such a statement on a political stage, distorting (the truth) and causing public misconceptions about the state government,

 he said in a statement.

Saarani pointed out that the housing and local government ministry was responsible for upgrading infrastructure in New Villages and that agencies under the rural and regional development ministry were responsible for developing facilities in rural areas.

“For example, the federal government spent RM2.55 billion last year on various rural facilities, including new roads, water and electricity supplies, bridge upgrades and road repairs.

The state government welcomes healthy discourse and discussions, but let it be done based on truth, not on comments made blindly that distort the facts, or stories made up to confuse the people,

 he said. - FMT