FEDERAL GOVT APPROVES 38 PETRA PROJECTS WORTH RM4.389 BILLION IN KEDAH

ALOR SETAR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- The federal government through the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), has approved 38 projects through development allocations in Rolling Plan 1 (RP1) of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in Kedah.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said all the projects involved a total cost of RM4.389 billion.

Fadillah who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the total allocation for all the projects approved for this year was RM253 million.

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“A total of 21 projects under the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) involve a total cost of RM1.995 billion with 2026 allocation of RM184 million in direct grants.

“A total of 14 projects under the Water Supply Department involve RM2.078 billion with 2026 allocation of RM59 million for 11 projects financed by direct grants and RM5 million for three projects financed by loans,” he said during his opening speech of Regional Sewage Treatment Plant and Sewerage Pipe Network Construction Project in Kota Setar (RSTP Kota Setar) here today.

He said, three more projects under the Sewerage Services Department (SSD) with a total project cost of RM316 million with an allocation for 2026 of RM5.5 million in direct grants.

Fadillah said among the new PETRA projects that are the focus for this year in Kedah is the construction of the Sungai Karangan Riverbank Water Retention Pond (TAPS), Kulim involving a cost of RM496.124 million and the Sungai Temin/Bata Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) project in Kubang Pasu district with a project cost of RM290.0 million.

The Deputy Prime Minister then called on the state government to jointly assist so that both projects can be expedited.

“The two projects that I announced require us to appoint consultants, to conduct site inspection, and also for us to design the first phase and it is quite critical for this planning to be completed this year so that the tender can be expedited next year,” he said.

Regarding the Kota Setar RSTP project, Fadillah said it is the largest plant in Kedah with the capacity to treat sewage for up to 100,000 population equivalent (​​PE) and can be increased to 300,000 PE in the future.

He added that the plant had started operating and receiving sewage in stages starting on August 9 last year and one of the project components was the rationalisation programme of 28 existing sewage treatment plants and sewerage systems in 16 government premises.

"The provision of the regional sewerage system in Kota Setar, which involves a construction cost of RM238.8 million, would benefit residents in Alor Setar, housing areas and neighbourhoods in Derga, Kota Setar and Alor Malai," he said.

At the ceremony, he also witnessed the handover of the plant's operations to Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK), the national sewerage company responsible for managing the public sewerage system in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan.

Also present at the ceremony were PETRA deputy secretary-general (Water) Datuk Mohd Rodzwan Mohd Baba Sakri and Alor Setar mayor Datuk Abdul Gafar Yahya.

-- BERNAMA