By Ridzwan Abdullah , New Straits Times
PUTRAJAYA: A RM4 billion additional allocation to the Rural and Regional Development Ministry under the Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review is targeted to pull about 10,000 families out of hardcore poverty, besides paving the way for more decent living in the rural areas.
Its minister, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, said the amount will be used for the development of basic infrastructure.
And as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi earlier this month, Sabah and Sarawak will each be allocated RM1 billion specifically for this purpose.
For those living in the interiors of the two states, the days of having to depend on the river, walking through rough terrain and using kerosene lamps for light will in time be a thing of the past.
Instead, they will embrace new settlements, roads, bridges, schools and 24-hour piped water and electricity supply.
All these will be done with the aid of a colour-coded mapping exercise, which will identify the infrastructure needs of a nucleus area within a 30km radius.
“That is our target. By 2016, we hope to complete all these facilities in the rural areas, not only in Sabah and Sarawak, but also areas that have been left out in the peninsula as well, that would mainly involve the Orang Asli community,” Muhammad said in an interview.
“The additional funds (RM4 billion) will help kick-start these projects.”
The amount is in addition to the RM11.03 billion allocated to the ministry for the 9MP.
Muhammad said about RM5 billion had been used for rural development projects so far.
He acknowledged, however, that when it comes to rural development, RM15 billion would hardly be enough to achieve the ministry’s targets.
“The needs are huge, but the means are lacking, so we have to learn how to prioritise.”
The emphasis on Sabah and Sarawak, however, would not be at the expense of projects already planned in the peninsula, Muhammad stressed. “They will go on as planned.”
Muhammad said while a core target under the 9MP was to combat hardcore poverty, the task ahead was a challenging one, given the rise in global oil prices and inflation.
“We find we have to revise many of our targets. We worked so hard to uplift the status of the hardcore poor only to see it falling again.”
The ministry, however, is keeping faith in the various projects that have been outlined to tackle and eventually eradicate hardcore poverty.
Among them are the “Agro-Politen” and the “10,000 Isi Rumah” projects. (These projects will open up land for agriculture including rubber and oil palm cultivation, and the hardcore poor invited to own and work on them for a monthly income.)