Budget 2027: Perak Hopes For Funding For Water Transfer Project, School Infrastructure
IPOH, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- The Perak government hopes Budget 2027 will give due consideration to its request for funding for a water transfer project from the Perak River to Bukit Merah Lake, so that it can be implemented by next year.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) had previously submitted the state’s list of funding requests to the relevant authorities.
He said the main phase of the water transfer project was aimed at meeting water supply needs for the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) and development in northern Perak, as well as addressing problems faced by farmers during the dry season.
“First, we are at the stage of trying to realise this project, and only if there is surplus water will we then consider selling treated water to Penang.
“The project is expected to meet water supply needs at KIGIP and support development in northern Perak, as well as address problems often faced by farmers during the dry season,” said Saarani.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating the launch of a 2-megawatt (MW) biogas renewable energy plant at the Papan Ulu Johan Solid Waste Sanitary Landfill here today.
Budget 2027 is scheduled to be tabled on Oct 9 and will be the fifth MADANI Budget and the second under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Meanwhile, Saarani said infrastructure works for the plant were estimated to cost between RM1.4 billion and RM2 billion and would be funded by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA).
He said the project is expected to be fully operational by 2030.
“The project is divided into two main phases. The first requires the federal government to fund basic infrastructure such as the tunnel alignment and water pumping system through PETRA allocations.
“The subsequent phase, led by the Khazanah Air Perak consortium through a joint venture between Gamuda Bhd and a subsidiary of the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNPk), will focus on constructing the water treatment plant through private financing instruments, strategic loans or sukuk issuance,” he said.
Saarani said the state government had also submitted three urgent needs involving the construction and upgrading of schools in Perak to facilitate the implementation of single-session schooling in more comfortable conditions.
He said these included constructing additional buildings to accommodate the simultaneous enrolment of six- and seven-year-old pupils in Year One, replacing dilapidated school infrastructure, and building new schools in rapidly growing areas such as Proton City in Tanjong Malim and KIGIP.
-- BERNAMA