12MP: Over RM2.39 bln spent on Sabah devt projects — CM
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has spent more than RM2.39 billion for development projects up to Sept 4 this year under the Second Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji, who is also state Finance Minister, said this marked a performance of 45.67 per cent of the more than RM5.23 billion allocated in the plan for the 1,118 approved development projects in Sabah.
“It is hoped that Sabah will exceed the national performance of 55.44 per cent,” he said in a statement after chairing the State Development Action Council (MTPNg) meeting at Menara Kinabalu here yesterday.
Hajiji requested all ministries and agencies to note as well as to take follow-up actions based on the detailed performance report tabled during the meeting to ensure all the planned development projects are implemented as scheduled.
On another matter, Hajiji said 76 of the 85 state statutory bodies and government-interest companies (GICs) that had yet to set up their respective Integrity and Governance Unit (IGU), should do so by December this year.
The chief minister also reminded all departments, district offices, local authorities and state statutory bodies that had yet to formulate and implement their Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan that they had until December next year to do so.
“It is our shared responsibility to empower and inculcate integrity in the implementation of responsibilities in the government delivery system in order to achieve sustainable development goals,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said 22,664 household heads in Sabah would benefit from the Malaysian Family Insurance Scheme (SKIM) introduced by the government as social protection for the poor and hardcore poor groups listed in the eKasih database.
Among the benefits of the Syariah-compliant group takaful insurance plan are RM10,000 for natural deaths, RM25,000 for accidental deaths as well as RM10,000 for total permanent disablement.
On the issue of housing for the poor, Hajiji wants the federal Rural Development Ministry to speed up the construction of Program Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin houses in the state and to ensure smooth coordination between implementing agencies and local authorities.
“I want regular monitoring and I will ask for status updates,” he said, adding that all issues hampering its implementation should be ironed out.