Abdul Karim (second right) chairs the IRSDA steering committee meeting while (from left) Rodiyah, Rubiah, and Aidel (right) look on.
KUCHING (Sept 22): About 83.7 per cent of the 638 projects implemented under the Integrated Regional Samarahan Development Agency (IRSDA) have been completed to date, said its steering committee chairman Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The Asajaya assemblyman said 534 projects had been completed, while 30 projects (4.7 per cent) were still under implementation and another 67 projects (10.5 per cent) remained in the planning stage.
“The remaining seven projects (1.25 per cent) are classified under ‘other’ status where they await further action based on development priorities and the availability of the funding,” he told a press conference after chairing the IRSDA steering committee’s second meeting for 2026 at a hotel here.
Abdul Karim, who is State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, said RM1.26 billion, or 84.32 per cent of the total RM1.5 billion allocation, had been utilised to date.
“The remaining funds are for projects that have yet to be implemented or completed. But most of our major projects have already been implemented.
“We are very, very happy to see this. I am not saying this to compare ourselves with other development and implementing agencies in other areas, but I dare say that we are at the forefront when it comes to implementing projects for agencies such as this,” he said.
Abdul Karim attributed the progress to the commitment of the government agencies and implementing bodies involved in delivering projects funded under IRSDA.
He said the development model was also in line with the Sarawak Government’s agenda of decentralising projects and empowering agencies at the implementation level.
“Through the decentralisation of these projects, they involve government agencies that previously served as implementing agencies.
“These include the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Public Works Department (JKR), the Department of Agriculture, councils and local authorities, so we are able to carry them out very quickly. There is not much bureaucracy involved,” he said.
Abdul Karim said the steering committee meeting also received presentations from various committees overseeing infrastructure, agriculture and socio-economic development.
He added that the meeting fulfilled IRSDA’s requirement to convene at least twice a year to review and discuss the implementation of projects within the Samarahan development area.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, State Deputy Infrastructure and Port Development Minister Datuk Aidel Lariwoo, and Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee.