KUCHING: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has proposed that Sarawak’s Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) be appointed as the implementing agency for KKDW-delayed water supply projects in the state.
Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said most of the delayed projects under the ministry involved clean water supply projects in rural areas.
“The ministry has taken drastic measures to speed up the implementation of projects that have been delayed, including by collaborating closely with the state government.
“The Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has also committed to hold monthly meetings to ensure that implementation processes, especially in the project planning aspect, can be carried out immediately,“ he said.
She said this to reporters after attending the Encouraging Responsibility Accountability Trustworthiness (ERAT) Program of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), held today at the Farmers’ Association Hall, together with enforcement agencies, students, and the community.
Rubiah, who is the Kota Samarahan Member of Parliament, said the ministry is also trying to reduce bureaucracy at both the federal and state levels so that delayed projects can be fully implemented before the launch of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13).
Zahid, also the Deputy Prime Minister, was previously reported to have said that a total of 24 KKDW projects in Sarawak have been delayed from 2016 to 2022, and an allocation of approximately RM1.4 billion is required to implement the projects.
