UNITY GOVT COMMITTED TO SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS IN ALL STATES - PM ANWAR

BUTTERWORTH, June 29 (Bernama) -- The Unity Government will strive to solve water woes in states, including states governed by the opposition despite differences in political beliefs, to ease the burden of the people.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had held discussions with various parties, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, in efforts to solve water woes, including states under the opposition.

“In Nibong Tebal there are issues related to water, in Kedah there is water issue, in Kelantan there is water issue and Sabah too has water issues. We will try to solve water issues and in Kelantan, I asked the Menteri Besar and he informed me that pumps used to draw water are not long enough and what I did was to issue a directive to buy the pumps immediately.

“This is not about political alliance, this is about the hardship of the people, we do it to assist the people…Mat Sabu (Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu) has also decided to carry out the cloud seeding process in Kelantan to induce rain. We are doing it to solve water issues,” he said when opening the Penang MADANI National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN) at the Seberang Perai Arena in Seberang Jaya here.

Also present were Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, Deputy Minister Datuk R. Ramanan and TEKUN Nasional chairman Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid.

Anwar said in Penang, especially Nibong Tebal, is facing water woes due to insufficient water from the river and therefore, the government decided to discuss with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad to try and solve the problem.

The Prime Minister said positive results were achieved through the discussions because the government had conducted a study which showed that the Sungai Perak region has an abundance of water resources and more than enough to cater for the state’s need.

Therefore, excess water can be channelled to Kerian, Perak and onwards Sungai Acheh, Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal and Batu Kawan areas.

"Finally we succeeded in approving the project (Projek Air Perak-Pulau Pinang) with an allocation of RM4 billion, for who is this? For the people of Perak and Penang,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the MADANI government had carried out various initiatives for the people, good governance and good administration. Therefore, the government under his leadership is different from what some are trying to portray.

Speaking of TEKUN Nasional, the Prime Minister who has a tight schedule in Penang today said the objective of the agency is to provide simple and quick financing facilities in order to kick-start and further expand their businesses.

He pledged that if TEKUN Nasional continued to show progress through good governance, allocation for the agency which is under the Ministry of Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development (KUSKOP) will be increased in the 2025 Budget.

— BERNAMA