THE unity government has allocated RM1.1 billion to resolve water supply issues, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Presenting the budget, themed “Madani Economy: Empowering the People”, in the Dewan Rakyat today, he said the government pledged that water woes must come to an end, especially in Kelantan, Sabah and Labuan.

“For Kelantan, the first phase of construction of the Machang water treatment plant, which will have a capacity of 250 million litres a day, will be implemented to increase water supply reserves. Asbestos cement pipes will be replaced to reduce the rate of water loss and water supply disruptions due to leaking pipes.

“While waiting for the project to be completed, the rental of tankers and static tanks will be added to ensure that the people of Kelantan get immediate water supply when there are disruptions,” he said.

He said to overcome water woes in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, the focus was on replacing infrastructure to increase the capacity of the water treatment plant, while in Labuan, efforts would be on replacing old pipes and repairing the infrastructure.

Anwar said the government will introduce the Madani Community Programme, under supervision of the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department.

“This programme aims to boost economic activities at the community level involving five focus sectors, namely, agriculture and food, sewing and handicraft, herbs and health, tourism and hospitality, and green and recycling activities.

“Each community, whether in the villages or the cities, will be given the freedom to consult and decide on their focus sector. The government will provide an allocation of RM1 billion under the Madani Community Fund,” he said.

He said grants ranging from RM50,000 to RM100,000 would be provided to make the Madani Community Programme a success.

Anwar said the improvement of rural infrastructure would continue to bridge the gap between those areas and urban ones.

This included RM1.63 billion allocated to build and upgrade rural roads and RM939 million to provide water to 5,150 homes and electricity to 2,200 houses.

He said the government would also introduce the Madani Foster Village Programme, which aimed to provide basic facilities, including internet access, in marginalised rural areas. – Bernama, October 13, 2023.