Kepala Batas, Oct 31 – Various new projects, worth RM880.65 million, will be implemented in Penang next year, the State Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman said today.
As such, he said, the claim by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng that the federal government did not provide any allocation for Penang in the 2014 Budget was baseless.
“This matter (projects) was not mentioned specifically by the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) when tabling the budget because the projects had been planned much earlier,” he told reporters after the presentation of the state-level co-curriculum excellence award here today.
Lim, in a statement made last Oct 27, said the 2014 Budget was a disappointment because it did not make any allocation for opposition-led Penang.
Zainal Abidin, who is also State Umno chairman, said the projects to be implemented next year included development of Perda-Tech (RM7 million), upgrading of the Penang Prisons Department’s quarters (RM0.8 million) and tourism facilities at Sungai Tukun, National Park (RM2.5 million).
Others, he said, included five projects under the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (RM24.80 million), two projects under the Public Works Ministry (RM455 million), two Health Ministry projects (RM270 million), 21 Education Ministry projects (RM77.62 million) and a project under the International Trade and Industry (RM20 million).
“The allocation also covered three projects under the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry (RM1.7 million) and a project each under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (RM5.23 million), Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (RM4 million) and the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry (RM12 million),” he added.
He said the projects did not include three mega projects currently in progress, namely expansion of the Mengkuang Dam (RM1.2 billion), the Ipoh-Padang Besar Double Tracking Rail and the second Penang Bridge.
“Penang, especially the people in the state, benefits directly from these new projects, as well as from the mega projects, which provide them with long-term benefits that provide various facilities that could spur the state’s economic growth,” he added.
– Bernama
