PUTRAJAYA – The federal government will try to resolve the water supply problems in Kelantan and Sabah even though they involve huge expenditures, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The water issues in Kelantan and Sabah need to be addressed because they are fundamental problems, not political,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly for May 2023 here today.
Anwar said he had negotiated the matter with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, and informed Sultan of Kelantan Sultan Muhammad V that the federal government has to take over the responsibility of solving the problems despite the huge expenditure.
Yesterday, the prime minister said he would meet Hajiji and Yakob within the next two weeks to find a solution to the water supply problems faced by both states for many years.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said that efforts to overcome the water issues in Kelantan and Sabah took too long in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) and Budget 2023.
He added that the government is in the midst of preparing the mid-term review of the 12MP.
At the same time, Anwar said he would also hold discussions at the economy and finance ministries’ levels on the states’ water supply issues.
He said that issues involving basic facilities, such as potholes and roads with puddles in some cities, also need to be resolved, adding that RM1 billion had been allocated this year for that purpose.
“(In addressing this,) civil servants need to adjust a little based on the (existing) plan or policy,” he said. – Bernama, May 15, 2023
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