KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government should clarify whether the RM320.25mil promised by Putrajaya to resolve the state’s water woes was a grant or a soft loan, says Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said the sum was initially reported to be federal aid but Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya told the state assembly on Tuesday (Aug 8) that it could be a soft loan.
The state Opposition leader said the funds pledged by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim two months ago to address Sabah’s pressing water issue had not even been channelled to the state as yet.
“So, they (the state government) had to use the state’s own money,” he said when speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the state assembly sitting.
He said Anwar had also announced last month that the Federal Government was allocating RM800mil to help Sabah and Kelantan to resolve their respective water problems.
“It doesn’t seem to have arrived (but) I’m quite sure the funds (RM320.25mil) have been approved. I don’t know the rates (if it was a soft loan) but the government has certain rates,” Shafie said.
Replying to a question earlier by Datuk Darell Leiking on whether the RM320.25mil was meant to be a one-off grant or soft loan, Shahelmey said the Prime Minister had hinted that it would be the latter.
“But it would be at a very minimal cost and maybe at zero interest,” he said, adding the funds would be used to finance short-term initiatives to remedy the water situation,” said the state Works Minister.
Nominated assemblyman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee had also asked Shahelmey if the funds had been channelled to Sabah and the progress of the remedial works on the water supply system.
After a meeting with Anwar on June 1, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in a statement said he was confident the Federal Government’s RM320.25mil aid to Sabah will expedite its short-term plans to solve the state’s water woes.
Hajiji said this would involve the implementation of six programmes encompassing 20 projects throughout the state including nine under district plans for Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Putatan, Papar, Beaufort, Keningau, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.
He was accompanied by Shahelmey and State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong in briefing Anwar about Sabah’s plans to address the water supply problem at the latter’s office in Putrajaya.
