BY VIVYNNA BUNSI ANN
ALL state and federal government entities should ensure sufficient funds are provided and promptly disbursed to the Land and Survey Department (JTS) to finalise the land acquisition process.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this is to prevent any delay in the disbursement of funds to JTS, which will subsequently impact the implementation of the project and the stipulated time frame.
“As of April 30, 2024, there are 1,248 projects requiring land acquisition for projects where land has been approved since 2018.
“However, only a total of 519 projects have been allocated with funds amounting to RM1.008 billion. Out of this amount, 130 projects are federal and 389 projects are from Sarawak, allocated with RM227.67 million and RM781.07 million, respectively,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech today.
Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development said that for the Trans Borneo Highway project, JTS still requires an allocation of RM194.45 million from the federal government for land acquisition.
“The construction of the 73.8-km road, scheduled to start in November this year, will be affected if the required funds are not disbursed to the JTS.
“Similarly, the completion of the Sarawak Sabah Link Road (SSLR) project by 2025 depends on the timely disbursement of the required RM127 million for the remaining 275.5-km stretch of Phase 2.
“My ministry will continue to enhance communication and coordination with other agencies involved in fund disbursement to ensure the successful and efficient implementation of projects.
