Soon Koh: RM950 million classified as MRP funds

KUCHING: The state Finance Ministry clarifies that the RM950 million announced in Budget 2015 meant for rural development has been classified as Minor Rural Project ( MRP) funds.

Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh said for accounting purposes, all rural development funds had been lumped under the category of MRP.

“Under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP), there was no vote head for Rural Transformation Programmes ( RTP) fund. RTP vote head was only created under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

“As such, in the 2015 allocation, RTP was lumped under MRP allocation totalling RM905.9 million. From the figure RM155.9 million was allocated for MRP while the balance of RM750 million was meant for RTP,” said Wong, adding that he would like to put this clarification on record to avoid any misunderstanding.

Wong had on Thursday said that RM900 million had been allocated for RTP and MRP.

Wong, who is also Local Government and Community Development Minister, also said yesterday that the allocation for this year was that RM300 million had been allocated for Special Development Assistance Fund (SDAF), RM500 million for RTP and the remaining RM165.9 million for MRP.

“The state government is very serious in its attempt to transform the rural areas to narrow the gap of development disparity between rural and urban areas.

“That is why a lot has been allocated to rural development under the state budget.

“But of course, the state government did not forget about the needs of urban folk for they equally received massive allocation for roads and bridges and better town planning.

“And also, don’t forget that just for the Chinese Independent schools, RM5 million will be given,” said Wong.