KAPIT: Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal yesterday announced an allocation of RM1.8 million for four micro hydro electric projects in Baleh constituency.
A SOUVENIR FOR YOU: Masing (second left), assisted by Ugak, hands over a ‘parang ilang’ as souvenir to Shafie (centre) as (from right) Abit, Jabu, Manyin and Entulu (partly hidden) look on.
The projects will benefit 177 people from the four longhouses – Rumah Lugat, Sungai Majau (21 doors), Rumah Melintang, Rumah Bawing and Rumah Jegai, Nanga Sebiro, Sungai Gaat (49 doors), Rumah Ejon, Nanga Tiau, Sungai Mujong (64 doors) and Rumah Jack and Rumah John Rima (43 doors) Nanga Entelawan.
“Starting today, as pilot project in this division, my ministry will start with Rumah Lugat, Sungai Majau and Rumah Melintang, Rumah Bawing and Rumah Jegai (within the same compound/area), Nanga Sebiro, Sungai Gaat,” Shafie said yesterday.
He was speaking during a leader-meet-the people session organised by the Community Development Department (Kemas) at Rumah Melintang, Nanga Sebiro.
Shafie said his visit to several rural places in Sarawak in the past three days reflected his full commitment toward the Prime Minster Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s aspiration of 1Malaysia concept, “People First, Performance Now”.
Among the places he visited were Limbang, Miri, Bintulu and Kapit divisions.
He said never in the history of Malaysia that a large sum of money allocated to Sabah and Sarawak, especially for rural development, and this also prompted the prime minister to introduce the national key result area (NKRA) or key performance index (KPI) to ensure that the projects benefitted the rakyat.
According to Shafie, of the RM18 billion budget of his ministry, the prime minister had given Sabah and Sarawak the biggest allocation.
Sarawak was allocated a sum of RM4.3 billion, he said.
“When we implement projects, we want the impact on a wider section of the community. As ministers, we report to the prime minister and the cabinet every week as required,” Shafie said.
On the request made by the Minister of Land Development Dato Sri Dr James Masing for the construction of a road link from Nanga Mujong to Sungai Gaat, Shafie said he would look into the matter seriously, and requested the state Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication to make studies on the project and submit a proposal for consideration.
Masing and the longhouses’ representative, who is also Masing’s private secretary Wilson Ugak, also spoke at the function.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu, Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin, Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Billy Abit and Kanowit MP Aaron Dagang were among those present.