KUCHING: Sarawak has been allocated a sum of RM14.64 to implement the Village Street Lighting project under the 11th Malaysia Plan. This was disclosed by Minister of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob at a press conference after launching the Village Street Lighting project at Pasir Pandak, near here on Sunday might.
Ismail Sabri said the amount was taken from the total RM100 million allocated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak under the 2017 budget. “The RM14.64 million is for the installation of 16,292 units of village street lights throughout Sarawak as well as 792 units of Light-emitting Diode (LED) type street lighting,” he explained.
He said this was the second village street lighting project launched in the country after Pulau Pinang. On another matter, Ismail Sabri pointed that 48 per cent of Sarawak’s rural population have electricity supply. He said from 2010 to 2017, Sarawak received RM3.374 billion or 48 per cent out of a total RM6.956 billion for rural development.
“This means that the budget from KKLW for Sarawak was quite big. Hopefully, we will get more for Budget 2018 and we will distribute it accordingly to all the States.
“For the list of areas for project implementation, it is up to the State Ministry of Utilities under Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi to decide,” he said.
Ismail Sabri explained that his ministry (KKLW) had also appointed Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) to implement the project. “I have requested SEB to complete the project before the end of 2017,” he said, adding the brackets for the street lighting are done, only waiting for the bulbs to be fixed. Meanwhile, Rundi said implementation of the first phase of the project had been completed and 8,000 more units of street lighting will be done in the next phase.
“SEB is doing its best to complete the project. It is also hoped that MPs in their respected areas have received the LJK project to be implemented,” said Rundi. Fifteen units of LJK from High Pressure Sodium Vapor (HPSV) were installed in Kampung Pasir Pandak and another seven units of LED type street lighting will be installed in the village soon. Also present were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
