RM2.391 billion spent for development projects up to Sept 4 this year

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has spent RM2.391 billion up to September 4 this year under the Second Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said this marked a performance of 45.67 per cent of the RM5.235 billion allocated for the 1,118 approved development projects in Sabah.
“It is hoped that Sabah will exceed the national performance of 55.44 per cent,” he said when chairing the State Development Action Council (MTPNg) meeting at Menara Kinabalu near here today.
Hajiji who is also State Finance Minister requested all ministries and agencies to note as well as take follow-up actions based on the detailed performance report tabled during the meeting.
“We want to ensure all the planned development projects are implemented as scheduled,” he said.
On another note, the Chief Minister disclosed a total of 22,664 household heads in Sabah will benefit from the Malaysian Family Insurance Scheme (SKIM) introduced by the Government as social protection for the poor and hardcore poor groups listed in the eKasih database under the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department.
Among the benefits of the Syariah-compliant group takaful insurance plan are RM10,000 for natural deaths, RM25,000 for accidental deaths as well as RM10,000 for total permanent disablement.
SKIM provides 12 months of protection beginning from the enforced date of the member’s certificate and is managed exclusively by PruBSN Takaful Berhad (PruBSN).
Hajiji also reminded 76 of the 85 state statutory bodies and government-interest companies (GIC), which have yet to set up their respective Integrity and Governance Unit (IGU) to do so by December this year.
On the issue of housing for the poor , Hajiji wants the Federal Rural Development Ministry, Sabah to speed up the construction of PPRT homes in the state and to ensure smooth coordination between implementing agencies and local authorities.
“I want regular monitoring and I will ask for status updates,” he said adding that all issues hampering its implementation should be ironed out.
Only nine have so far complied with the directive aimed at ensuring integrity in the work culture, transparency in service delivery without abuse of power and vested interest in accordance with existing laws and regulations, he said.
Hajiji also reminded all departments, district offices, local authorities and state statutory bodies that have yet to formulate and implement their Organisational Anti-Corruption Plan that they have until December 2023 to do so.
“It is our shared responsibility to empower and inculcate integrity in the implementation of responsibilities in the government delivery system in order to achieve sustainable development goals,” he said.
The Chief Minister said he launched the Sabah Integrity Day on Sept 1, an initiative under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Plan during which the Revised Book on the Chief Minister’s Department Anti-Corruption Plan (PAR JKM) 2019-2023 was also launched.
The revision contained 20 updated initiatives in line with the direction and agenda of the government towards bolstering integrity, anti-corruption and good governance, he said.
Hajiji called on all quarters to work together as a team and utilise the MTPNg as a platform to share information for discussion and find solutions to issues affecting development projects in Sabah.