Ministry meets to monitor development projects in Sarawak
KUCHING: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW)-Sarawak State Government Project Planning and Monitoring Joint Committee met for the first time on Thursday.
Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the meeting aimed to strengthen the coordination between KKLW and the state government in the planning, implementation and monitoring of KKLW projects in Sarawak’s rural areas.
He said the joint committee was divided into two sections – the executive committee and working committee.
The executive committee is jointly chaired by Ismail Sabri and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development.
Also on the committee are Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom and the two KKLW Deputy Ministers Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi and Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub.
The working committee on the other hand is chaired by KKLW secretary-general Datuk Borhan Dolah and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani.
“On our part the ministry understands that the state government is more in tune with the needs of the grassroots in Sarawak, so the planning, project proposals and so forth we will leave to the state government.
“The planning, implementation, and monitoring of KKLW projects in Sarawak will be carried out together. As such, the state government will be fully in the picture on all projects that are carried out in Sarawak – from the start to the completion of the project, we will monitor the implementation. If problems arise with our projects, we will resolve them together,” he told a press conference after the meeting.
Ismail Sabri said the executive committee would meet twice a year, while the working committee would meet four times a year or more frequently depending on need because it will directly monitor the implementation of KKLW projects in the state.
He said the first meeting involved the tabling of three working papers, which included a report on the implementation and status of KKLW projects in Sarawak in 2017, and those promised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the 2016 state election.
“We also covered the implementation of projects for 2018. Under the development budget for this year, the (federal) government has allocated RM3.87 billion for KKLW and for Sarawak we allocated RM1.102 billion or 28.48 per cent of the total amount for 2018,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri also attended the KKLW 2017 Service Excellence Awards, which celebrated the achievements of 251 Sarawak zone ministry staff, who achieved excellence and demonstrated commitment to fulfilling the ministry’s plans last year.
The highest number of recipients were from the Community Development Department (Kemas), with 190 staff receiving awards.
This was followed by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) with 39 recipients, Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Corporation (RISDA) with 18 recipients, and KKLW with eight recipients.
“This ceremony is a way for the ministry to record its appreciation for the achievements and standard of excellence demonstrated by ministry, department, and agency personnel under KKLW, who are always committed to improving the quality of service and completing all the ministry’s plans throughout 2017.
“Holding this ceremony can also help to improve cooperation and understanding between KKLW, the departments, and agencies, as well as to avoid working in an isolated manner to achieve the ultimate goal of the ministry, which is to urbanise the rural areas,” he said.