10,000 LED lights to be installed in villages by next year - Rina

HULU LANGAT, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) has announced that it will install 10,000 units of Light Emitting Diode (LED) village street lights (LJK) in villages in Peninsular Malaysia starting this year and is expected to be completed next year.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the installation of the LED-type lighting units would use the ministry's Incentive Based Regulation (IBR) for 2019/2020 allocation that would benefit villagers in need of replacement of existing street lights.

"This LJK initiative is a collaboration between KPLB and the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC), where the installation of these lighting units will be facilitated by the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

"We are focusing on the installation of the LJK in villages across the states in the Peninsula first in accordance with the needs of the villages themselves. For Sabah and Sarawak we will use the KPLB budget allocation and we will announce the installation," she said.

She told this to reporters after the opening ceremony of the LJK installation in Kampung Rinching Hilir here today.

Rina said that in terms of operations and maintenance, the government was expected to spend RM83 million a year to ensure the lights installed would light up the village areas.

Also present was Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

Meanwhile, in another development, Yeo said her ministry had not received any written application from the rare earth processing plant of Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Lynas) for its permanent disposal facility (PDF) for Water Leach Purification (WLP) residue in Pahang as reported.

Bernama today reported that Lynas’ rare earth processing plant has not submitted a formal application for a specific PDF location for the WLP residue that is said to be developed in Pahang.

Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail was quoted as saying that the state government had never discussed with Lynas about the PDF issue, which is part of the conditions set for the renewal of the plant's operating licence.

Asked by reporters on the issue of renewing Lynas' operating permit for another six months, Yeo said MESTECC would set up a taskforce to ensure the company to comply with the requirements set by the government.

"For the Lynas issue, MESTECC will continue to monitor it closely to ensure that Lynas continue to comply with the conditions set after the renewal of its licence," she said.

-- BERNAMA