Fifty-five per cent of the Rural Transformation Initiatives (RTI) projects have been completed while the rest are in various stages of implementation, said the Deputy Chief Minister who is also Infrastructure Development and Transportation Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
The projects which have been implemented are those under the Cabinet Committee on Rural Transformation (CabCom-RT) and are not planned and implemented under the Malaysia Plan.
The establishment of Cluster Clinics under the CabCom-RT has been made possible because the project initiated the purchase of medical equipment to equip and serve rural clinics around it.
“Thus, the Baram people area need not go to as far as Miri to get some of their medical services instead they could go to Long Lama Cluster Clinic to do so which then will save them the travelling time and transportation cost, he said in his winding speech.
Masing also stressed that for the resettlers of Murum Hydro Dam area, the CabCom-RT has been able to speed the surveying of land for their residential lots, agriculture lots and home gardens at Metalun Resettlement Scheme in Belaga.
Meanwhile, for rural dilapidated schools, the CabCom-RT has been able to repair and upgrade twenty-six of such schools in the rural areas including SJK Chinese schools and Mission schools which could not be implemented in the normal Malaysia Plans.
“Some people may refer these initiatives as the ‘last miles projects’, however some villages now are able to benefit and enjoy the 24-hour electricity supply through connection to a nearby grid.
“Some of villages in past have not been able to enjoy treated water though the main pipeline is just nearby.
“Through this project, it’s now made possible because the CabCom-RT project, through its Minister has identified such villages to be connected to the nearby watermain, he added.
In particularly, Masing also said that with the highest ever state budget allocation of RM9 billion for the development, particularly for rural development, this has shown that how the state government way of sending out the message that we are indeed resolute.
Besides, this also shows the state government’s concern towards rural population and wanting our rural population to progress in tandem with their urban counterparts and global development in general, he added.
In the last State Assembly sitting, the state government had approved an allocation of about RM335.1 million to implement 306 projects under the Cabinet Committee on Rural Transformation (CabCom-RT).
