TAWAU: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) is focusing on developing road, water and electricity infrastructure in rural and remote areas of Sabah to ensure a more comfortable life for residents in these areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said that Sabah currently requires more infrastructure development, and this plan can be realised through the strong cooperation between the MADANI Government and the state.
He noted that once the Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah is fully completed, more road connections to rural and remote areas, as well as small towns, need to be developed to connect communities and serve as a catalyst for the state’s progress.
“We recognise that there are still many areas in need of road construction and upgrades to benefit local residents. Cooperation with the state government will be intensified to ensure that rural road infrastructure remains a priority.
“The issue of public infrastructure, especially for the B40 community, will continue to be a key focus of the MADANI Government, particularly through KKDW for Sabah,” he said at the closing of the Sentuhan Kasih Desa@Tawau 2025 KKDW Programme at the Tawau Sports Complex here today.
Also present were Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, and Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
Regarding the water supply issue, Ahmad Zahid stated that while it falls under the responsibility of the state government, KKDW will play a role in channeling clean water from the main pipelines to villages and households.
“Water supply is already the responsibility of each state, but delivering it from the main pipes to villages and homes falls under KKDW’s responsibility. For remote areas without access to main pipelines, we will utilise gravity-fed systems and tube wells,” he said.
He added that the Rural Water Supply Project (BALB) is one of KKDW’s key initiatives to address this issue, and the ministry has identified several critical areas that require urgent attention for clean water supply.
Ahmad Zahid also highlighted that KKDW is implementing comprehensive and effective solutions to address electricity supply issues in rural and remote areas that cannot be connected to the state power grid through the Rural Electricity Supply Programme (BELB).
BELB utilises solar power generation in areas without access to the electricity grid, storing the energy in batteries for rural and remote communities.
However, Ahmad Zahid acknowledged that the programme faces challenges due to the limited lifespan of existing battery technology and in response, KKDW is taking decisive action to resolve this issue by acquiring new battery technology with longer durability.
“An open tender is being conducted with suppliers to source batteries with longer-lasting durability. Previously, the batteries lasted only one to two years. With advancements in technology, KKDW is working to extend battery lifespan to five years for the people of Sabah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid emphasised that the allocation received by Sabah through KKDW represents the highest development budget in Malaysia, reflecting the MADANI Government’s commitment to the state’s development.
“This demonstrates the MADANI Government’s continued commitment to prioritising Sabah and its people,” he said.
When tabling Budget 2025 on October 18 last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a development allocation of RM6.7 billion for Sabah.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid told a press conference that coordination between KKDW and the Public Works Department (JKR) at both federal and state levels must be strengthened to ensure the smooth implementation of these projects.
He said such coordination is crucial as the implementation of projects valued at RM50 million and below has been handed over to the state government, requiring all relevant agencies to come together to address any challenges encountered.
However, Ahmad Zahid stated that he remains dissatisfied with the coordination between KKDW and JKR at the federal and state levels in executing these projects.
“We have had to address several constraints, and we are confident that the capacity of the state JKR can be enhanced to accelerate the completion of projects listed in last year’s budget, this year’s, and those from previous years,“ he said at the Sabah UMNO’s 34th anniversary celebration here.
