KUALA LUMPUR – Millions allocated to Sabah for a series of rural infrastructure projects that would benefit households in the country’s easternmost state remain unused, parliamentary documents show.
In a November 12 reply to Ahmad Hassan’s (Papar-Warisan) during ministers’ question time, Rural Development Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad provided a breakdown of each project with only the allocation for water supply being almost utilised.
Project allocations as follow: RM212.21 million for water (BALB) with RM171.76 million (80.9%) used; RM216.73 million for electricity supply (BELB) with RM89.04 million (41.1%) used; RM217.24 million for rural roads (JALB) with RM172.48 million (63.6%) used, and RM69.64 million for rural connectivity (JPD) with RM26.23 (37.66%) used.
Altogether, RM769.82 million had been set aside from Sabah rural projects, which had been earmarked in the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), with a total of RM459.51 million used, or 59%.
In the 11MP, a total of RM2.04 billion had been set aside across 63 BALB projects; RM3.06 billion for 15 BELB projects and RM6.05 bil for 101 JALB projects, while 278 JPD projects totalling RM69.44 million had been approved under the Prihatin economic stimulus package. – The Vibes, November 13, 2020
