Federal govt pledges RM4 billion for Sabah rural water supply projects

 Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the allocation will be channelled mainly to rural areas such as Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, which are among the poorest districts in the country.

Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi meeting residents of Matunggong, north Sabah, before the opening of the Rungus cultural festival today. (Bernama pic)

KUDAT:

The federal government is to allocate RM4 billion to the Sabah state government to finance rural water supply projects throughout the state, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

“The allocation will be channelled mainly to rural areas, including Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, which are among the poorest districts in Malaysia,” he said when opening the Rungus cultural festival in Matunggong.

Zahid said the projects will be implemented directly by the state government. “The main problem in Sabah is the supply of clean water and electricity; it is my responsibility as the minister of rural and regional development to resolve this matter, especially in rural and outlying areas. I have requested the allocation from the Cabinet for this matter,” he said.

He said the federal government places special focus on basic infrastructure development and efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah’s rural areas. “This effort is important because development is the right of all Malaysians, whether in Sabah, Sarawak or the peninsula,” he said.

Zahid said his ministry would continue to monitor progress of the water projects and provide technical support.

He also expressed his full support for efforts to make Matunggong a full district, which would enable the district to receive more specific development allocations from the federal and state governments. - FMT