KUCHING, April 5: The State government will continue to implement the village extension scheme through infrastructure development including those in longhouses to raise the value of the land.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state government will develop infrastructure in villages and longhouses in the rural areas to raise the asset value in particular the land, thus enabling villagers to get out of the poverty line.
“We want to expand our village extension scheme through a new approach because we have some rezeki (revenue).
“We will provide the site, infrastructure including roads and concrete drains as well as electricity and water supplies to villages which we want to develop.
“All the infrastructure costs including earth wall, roads, concrete drain, electricity and water supplies will be borne by the state government to the target group in the village.
“This means directly or indirectly transforming the lives of the villagers,” he said in his speech during the Land and Survey Department Summit held at Wisma Pelita here today.
With infrastructure development, Abang Johari believed the land value will increase thus providing landowners in the rural areas with a higher net worth.
He said if the poor living in rural areas own assets which have a high value, they cannot be categorised as poor while villagers in the rural area who own lands cannot be classified as poor as well.
He added the state government is providing villagers in the rural areas to add value to their assets.
Abang Johari noted that the current poverty line in Malaysia is above RM2,000 per month.
He also said the state government had discussed with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed on how to raise the poverty line for the rural folks.
Among those present at the Land and Survey Summit were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Assistant Minister of Urban Development and Resources Datu Len Talif Salleh, State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion and Land and Survey Department director Abdullah Julaihi. — DayakDaily
