KUCHING: The government has allocated over RM760 million in loans this year for the implementation of various water treatment plant projects across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister, Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof, said the Federal Government remains committed to assisting states through loans as well as partial allocations in the form of grants, following the restructuring of the water sector under the involvement of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).

“These projects are fundamentally structured as loans, as water management falls under state jurisdiction.

“However, at the same time, there are also projects that have been converted into grants through restructuring efforts in collaboration with SPAN,” he said

He made the remarks when speaking to reporters after officiating the Qurban programme at Kampung Tupong Jaya here on Sunday.

Out of the total allocation, several ongoing and upcoming projects are being implemented across various states, including Sabah (12 projects), Kedah (2), Kelantan (1), Pahang (3), Terengganu (3), Sarawak (5), and Perlis (2).

Dato Sri Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, further noted that the projects are currently at different stages of implementation.

“Seven projects are expected to be completed this year, while the remainder are at various stages of implementation and are scheduled for completion in 2026 and beyond 2027,” he added.

In addition, four of the projects are still under the ‘Notice of Change’ (NOC) phase due to changes in the scope of work, which require additional funding and approval from the Ministry of Economy before they can proceed.

“As for the four other projects, they cannot be tendered just yet as we are still awaiting approval. The rest are still in the design and planning stages,” he explained. -UKASnews