RM424.7 Million For BALB Programme Nationwide
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) today clarified that the RM720 million allocation in the 2026 Budget for the Rural Water Supply (BALB) Programme in Sabah is incorrect.
Deputy Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said the actual allocation for the BALB programme is RM424.7 million, covering Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
She said three new projects and 79 extension projects were approved under the Sabah BALB Programme for 2025, with a total allocation of RM103,583,900.
“The current status of project implementation is 16 projects in the construction stage, 39 projects in the pre-implementation stage, 16 projects completed, and 11 projects cancelled.
“For Budget 2026, a total of 83 projects were approved under the Sabah BALB Programme, involving overall project costs of RM4.065 billion and an allocation of RM143 million,” she told the Senate during the question-and-answer session.
She was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Bobbey Suan regarding the implementation status of the Sabah BALB Programme, which was previously reported to have received RM720 million under Budget 2026, during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.
In response to another question, Rubiah said that a rural road project, the Jalan Serandong-Perpat Paloh Batang Maro in Betong, in the Saratok parliamentary constituency, has been placed under the “save and attention” category following objections from residents over the original alignment.
“The project had previously been tendered, and a contractor was appointed, but due to these objections, its implementation needs to be reviewed and a new alignment prepared,” she said in reply to Senator Pele Peter Tinggom.
The senator wanted to know the steps taken by the government to resolve the KKDW projects that have been delayed in the Saratok and Kabong districts.
Rubiah added that a total of 12 basic infrastructure projects worth RM414.14 million have been approved for the Saratok parliamentary constituency for 2025.
These include rural roads, bridges, rural water supply, social amenities and housing for the people, with six projects currently at the pre-implementation stage and three under implementation, she said.
According to her, for the Rolling Plan 5 (RP5), a total of 316 projects totalling RM734.75 million have been allocated to the Sarawak government as the ministry's commitment to inclusive and sustainable rural development.
They include four projects in Kabong totalling RM150 million involving rural roads, bridges and water supply, he said.
-- BERNAMA
