GERIK, April 22 — The Ministry of Housing and Local Government allocated RM4.58 million to implement 22 public facility development projects around the Gerik area, including Lenggong and Pengkalan Hulu.

Its Minister Nga Kor Ming said of this amount, RM1.7 million involving seven projects was channelled to the Gerik District Council, while RM2.88 million (15 projects) was for the Village Development and Security Committees (JPKK) in Lenggong, Gerik and Pengkalan Hulu.

He said that the council has received allocations to carry out upgrade works on infrastructure, maintenance of flood retention pond and socioeconomic projects that contribute to the well-being, comfort and safety of the local population in line with the Malaysia Madani Framework.

"The Gerik District Council has already received an allocation of RM1.7 million. I hope the council can ensure that projects can be implemented as scheduled and according to the principle of a performance-based budget.

"PBT (local authorities) that receive allocations are required to make a cost-benefit analysis so that our spending is really worthwhile, prudent, no wastage and no extravagance,” he said at a press conference here today.

Nga said among the projects that will be implemented are the maintenance and repair of the Gerik public market, the repair work of the old drain near the council’s food stalls in Kampung Baru Batu Dua, the upgrading of the Gerik night market site and the maintenance of the retention pond within the PBT area.

At the same time, he said the ministry through the New Chinese Village Division has channelled allocations to the JPKK in the Gerik area for, among others, road resurfacing, upgrading of the drainage system, building concrete retaining walls and so on.

Therefore, he said, the ministry through the Department of Local Government will always work with PBT nationwide to realise development plans to improve the quality of services and the well-being of the people.

Earlier, Nga attended the ministry’s Sentuhan Kasih programme at the Gerik public market, before officiating the new arch in Kampung Baru Batu Dua here.

At the Gerik public market, Nga and the ministry’s team were briefed by the council regarding the current development and the need to improve the infrastructure of the area. — Bernama