KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor issued a  stern directive today to all department heads and district officers to speed up implementation of Federal development projects in the state. 

“With six more months to go, I want all department heads and district officers to take  note of the issues impeding implementation. Do your best to implement and complete  them this year,” he said when chairing the State Development Action Council (MTPNg)  meeting at Menara Kinabalu near here today. 

The Chief Minister wants a detailed progress report at the next MTPNg meeting this  September. 

Sabah had been allocated RM6.05 billion in the National Budget this year, the third  highest after Federal Territory and Selangor. 

However, under the Third Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan, only 21.61 per cent of  the 1,181 projects for Sabah have been implemented. 

With time running out fast, the Chief Minister said the State Government had proposed  the setting up of a Trust Fund where unused allocation for the year can be kept and used  for the coming year. 

Director-General of the Implementation and Coordination Unit in the Prime Minister’s  Depertment, Dato’ Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz attended the meeting. 

Also present were Deputy Chief Ministers - Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan,  Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam and Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya, Community  Development and People’s Wellbeing Datuk James Ratib, Tourism, Culture and  Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron  Angin, State Secretary Datuk Seri Panglima Sr Safar Untong and Sabah Development  Officer Samsul Dollah.  

The meeting was told that under the MyProjek data as at June 12, 2023, some 141  projects below RM50 million worth a total of RM1.6 billion will be delegated to the State  Government through the Public Works Department (JKR) and Department of Irrigation  and Drainage.

“In this respect, I urge all MTPNg committee members to take heed of this and do the  necessary, reminding all that the Prime Minister in his address to the state and federal  civil service last February had given six months to see the efficacy of the move. 

“There should be no more excuses of waiting for approval from the Federal as the reason  for projects being delayed. The rakyat and the government will be on the losing end if  there is a delay in implementing approved projects," he said. 

Hajiji also urged the various department heads and district officers to realise the zero hardcore poor agenda by end of this year as propounded by Prime Minister Datuk Seri  Anwar Ibrahim. 

“I want all district officers to go down the ground and verify the details of those  categorised as hardcore poor in their respective areas. We want their actual status to be  recorded,” he said. 

The Chief Minister also urged relevant departments weighed down with “sick projects”  to terminate non-performing contractors which had hindered completions of projects. 

Among the sick projects were those under the Education Ministry and Health Ministry.   

Ends