Sabah receives RM10.7b for 1,185 projects in 2011-2012

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah receives an allocation of RM10.7 billion to implement 424 new projects and complete 761 existing ones within the first two years (2011-2012) of the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the allocation received by Sabah was the second largest after that of the Federal Territories.

"Hence, on behalf of the state government, I would like to express our thanks to the federal government, specifically to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, for continuously giving serious attention to the state's development needs.

"I also view this as a sign of the federal government's strong faith in the state government's ability and capability in implementing the people's projects, especially in rural areas," he said after chairing the Sabah State Action Council meeting, here on Wednesday, Jan 19.

He also reminded the Sabah State Development Office and Implementation Coordination Unit under the Prime Minister's Department to intensify their monitoring activities to identify, overcome and solve potential problems at the earliest stage possible to prevent delay in the implementation of the projects.

"The monitoring activities should be carried out bravely and strictly so that complicated cases could be jointly solved by the relevant parties or even tabled at this meeting, if necessary," he said.

Musa also announced that the overall expenditure performance of Sabah in the 9th Malaysia Plan as at Dec 31, 2010, was at a satisfactory level of 81.30% compared with 84.48% nationally.

"I'm confident that the percentage will increase when the adjustment payment in the period of Accounts Payable were received after Jan 22," he said.

When asked on the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui's remarks that the federal government would convene another discussion with the Sabah government pertaining to the proposed coal plant in Lahad Datu, Musa said the announcement on the matter would be made on a more suitable date after the discussion. — Bernama