By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 30: All delayed or ‘sick’ projects under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) in Sarawak, previously approved under the 11th and 12th Malaysia Plans (11MP and 12MP), must be implemented without further delay under the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said one of the problems is the occurrence of land issues, and the Sarawak government has agreed to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
“Secondly, there are conflicts that require alignment with the implementation of the project, and this has also been agreed upon,” he told a press conference after chairing a high-level coordination meeting on rural development projects in Sarawak here today. An audio recording of the press conference was made available to DayakDaily after the event.
Also present during the press conference were Sarawak’s Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi and Deputy KKDW Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang.
Zahid who serves as the Federal Minister of Rural and Regional Development, stated that Sarawak received a total of RM3.2 billion under the 12MP and this approval involves the implementation of 403 programmes/projects with a total project cost amounting to RM21.73 billion.
Out of this, 178 projects (44.71 per cent) have been identified as still being in the ‘Pre-Implementation’ stage, with 155 of these projects approved from the year 2021 to 2025.
“I would also like to inform that a total of 91 projects, which is nearly 46 per cent of the projects listed as being in the ‘Pre-Implementation’ stage, will have their sales and service tax (SST) issued by the end of 2025 at the latest,” he said.
He also viewed it seriously when it was reported that there are five ‘sick’ projects involving site issues such as permits, land acquisition, and overlapping pipeline alignments. In addition, weather conditions are also among the factors contributing to the project delays.
“As the 13MP will be tabled in the upcoming Parliament session, any delayed or sick projects must be expedited. These must be implemented within the 13MP timeframe, from Rolling Plan 1 to Rolling Plan 5.
“For example, while not classified as a ‘sick’ project, the MRSM Lawas project—which has already been approved but not yet implemented—has been delayed. I have instructed that MRSM Lawas must be carried out under Rolling Plan 1. I have already informed Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan on this matter,” he revealed.
As part of KKDW’s rural development focus, Zahid also announced that Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (KPTM) will begin offering professional courses to Sarawakian SPM leavers starting this September in Kota Samarahan.
The college is expected to take in 200 students initially, increasing to 500 students in 2026 and up to 1,000 students by 2028.
“KPTM will serve as a feeder college to universities in Sarawak. These students will also be channelled to University Poly-Tech Malaysia (UPTM) to pursue bachelor’s and postgraduate studies based on their interests and needs,” Zahid explained.
He emphasised that the courses offered must align with students’ interests and market demand to prevent mismatches in academic offerings and workforce needs.
In addition, Zahid said 21 KEMAS preschools (tabika and tadika) in Sarawak, especially in areas like Sebuyau, have also been prioritised, with land and site-related problems now resolved. The Sarawak government will handle all compensation matters involved.
To ensure continuous progress, Zahid has instructed Deputy KKDW Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang to conduct weekly monitoring and provide regular reports.
“If there are issues involving other ministries where funding has not been channelled or implemented, those must also be resolved quickly.
“The people of Sarawak, especially in rural areas, must be given the same development priority as those in other states,” he stressed. — DayakDaily
