Shafie (left) and Abdul Rahman being briefed about the water treatment plant.
KOTA BELUD: Cooperation between contractors and villagers involved in land issues is very important to ensure that development projects earmarked for the rural areas are completed on schedule.
Rural and Regional Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal pointed out that without the cooperation, land issues cannot be resolved and this in turn would delay the implementation and completion of development projects.
Shafie, when met after officiating a water treatment plant here yesterday, said that contractors awarded development projects in rural areas have the responsibility to finish the projects on schedule.
“Therefore, it is very important for the villagers, especially land owners, to cooperate with each other so that the development projects which are for their well-being and benefit can be implemented,” he stressed.
On the water treatment plant, Shafie said the RM36 million project will benefit residents in the whole of Kota Belud. The new facility can supply 22 mld of water a day compared to only between four and six mld produced by the old treatment plant.
Funding for the water treatment plant project is from the RM158 million allocated for the development of basic infrastructure in Kota Belud and work is in progress, he said, adding that a small project worth RM61 million for Kota Belud has also been approved for implementation in 2014.
Shafie also disclosed that RM400 million had been allocated to Sabah for the development of rural electric supply in 2014, but this does not involve the existing capacity as the Rural and Regional Development Ministry is only looking at connecting to the existing grid and generate power supply to rural areas.
“This will be done in the near future so that infrastructure development in the rural areas is not delayed,” he said.
Touching on the floods in Beaufort and Tenom, Shafie said that he was waiting for the data on the number of residences that were damaged in the natural disaster that need repairs which will be done through funding from his ministry.
Also present was Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Minister cum Kota Belud member of parliament Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.