TAWAU: The Madani government has successfully implemented 144 development projects in Sabah to date, involving a total allocation of RM14bil, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said the projects include the upgrading of Tawau Hospital and Lahad Datu Prison, the construction of the Sepanggar Bay container port and the proposed heart medical centre in Kota Kinabalu.
He added that the government has allocated over RM350mil for the Madani Solar programme, with Tawau selected as the pilot project site.
The initiative involves the installation of 40 solar-powered streetlights in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) and the local community.
"We are doing what's best for the people... addressing issues such as electricity and energy costs, education for children, toilets, science labs, police and armed forces needs including housing, and roads to be repaired.
"In just over two years, this is what the Madani government has achieved. Some say it's still not enough, and I agree because some of the issues are inherited and cannot be resolved in just a year or two," he said.
Anwar said this in his speech when officiating the closing ceremony of the Sabah Madani Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025 at the Tawau Municipal Council square here Sunday (May 11).
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
Anwar also announced that the government has approved an additional allocation of RM10mil to maintain small shops and stalls across the state under the Projek Siap Tamu Sabah.
"In conjunction with today's Mother's Day celebration, this is a gift for the many mothers who run businesses at these Tamu Desa markets to provide greater comfort, allowing them to trade sheltered from the sun and rain.
"I don't want to be a prime minister who forgets the people's hardships. That's why we continue to do our best to develop Sabah, from enhancing connectivity to AI, digital initiatives, and our efforts to eradicate poverty," he said.
Commenting on the three-day Sabah PMR 2025, which concluded Sunday, Anwar said it served as an excellent platform for the local community to gain exposure to various government initiatives, programmes and projects.
"...for the people to learn about what the government is doing, such as in the agriculture, digital and defence sectors. Let this be a platform for monitoring government efforts and for the youth to share their views and ideas in building a great and progressive Malaysia," he said.
Themed Ending Poverty Through Entrepreneurship, the Sabah PMR 2025 is part of a nationwide government initiative spearheaded by the Performance Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU) in collaboration with the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry as the lead ministry, and the Sabah Government as host, to bring essential government services directly to the people. - Bernama
