‘S’wak still needs more federal funding for power, water supply coverage’

SIBU: Sarawak will need more allocations for its catch-up plan for electricity and water supply as it is a vast state with a scattered population unlike other states in Malaysia.

Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi said this when asked for his views on the RM620million Budget 2018 allocation for the upgrading of electrical infrastructure in 10,000 houses in Sabah and Sarawak, and RM300 million to ensure that 3,000 houses in Sabah and Sarawak would get clean water supply.

“The figure is not specific – we don’t really know. We really have to look into how much is for Sarawak and Sabah. We really have to go back and study – eventually, we will be made known the actual figure for Sarawak.

“Now, if you were to ask me whether I’m happy or not happy – I think it’s still not big enough for us because we really need to catch up with our coverage (electricity and water) as soon as possible,” he told reporters after officiating at the Sibu Water Board (SWB)’s ‘Appreciation Night 2017’ on Friday night, held in connection with the ‘Integrity and Innovation Month’ here.

However Dr Rundi, who is Kemena assemblyman, pointed out that their side would make do with whatever that had been allocated to them.

“We thank the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) for giving us quite a sizeable (allocation) to implement what we have planned according to priorities.

“With that priority, we hope that each year – eventually, we would provide full coverage for whatever that we have planned for – electricity and water. But I can tell you, it would take quite some time (for Sarawak).

“Even if we could, there would be some areas that are beyond the reach of the grid and reticulation – this would necessitate us to think outside the box.”

Dr Rundi said for that, he had come up with the Sarawak Alternative Water Supply (Sawas) programme and Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) for those in the state’s remote pockets.

“We need to give clean and safe water to the people living in the interior parts of Sarawak.

“We can go for mid-term review, rolling plans and so on later on. (But) catching-up plan is something that we need to focus on; otherwise, we would be so far behind the rest of the states in Malaysia.

“This is something that we cannot avoid, but (it is) not an excuse for us to not be able to provide satisfying service to the people. We will do our level best,” he added.

Later, Dr Rundi launched SWB’s new vision and mission in line with the implementation of the agency’s ‘Balanced Scorecard’.

SWB general manager Sudin Jaya said his side had listed several objectives to achieve under the vision and mission.

He also listed out the programmes implemented during Integrity and Innovation Month 2017, as well as SWB’s achievements.

On Integrity and Innovation Month 2017, Sudin said it was to give exposure and awareness of the practice of integrity to every SWB staff member in discharging their duties.

“It is to cultivate the idea of innovation and creativity within SWB personnel, in line with the government’s efforts to produce world-class public service.”

Ministry of Utilities permanent secretary Datuk Alice Jawan Empaling was among those present at the event.