Kuala lumpur: A total of 37 rural road improvement and 17 rural bridge projects have been approved in Kelantan, with a total cost of RM1.87 billion under the Rural Road Programme (JALB) this year. Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Rubiah Wang, announced that six of these projects have been completed, while 32 are still under construction and 16 are in the pre-implementation stage.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the approval and implementation of these road and bridge projects are based on requests from the state government, following the priority list submitted to the ministry during each rolling period. Rubiah emphasized that Kelantan would continue to receive increased funding for these projects under the ministry (KKDW), with next year's allocation set to rise to RM450.7 million.

Rubiah was responding to an additional question from Senator Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz concerning the status of rural development projects in Kelantan under JALB this year. She highlighted the importance of these projects, especially since the state often faces natural disasters at the end of each year. To ensure proper monitoring, the ministry conducts coordination meetings at various government levels, along with regular reports and field visits.

While most projects are progressing smoothly, Rubiah noted that some have experienced delays due to various factors. As a response, the ministry has implemented corrective and improvement measures to ensure timely completion, meeting objectives, and enhancing the wellbeing of rural communities.

In another development, Rubiah responded to a query from Senator Michael Mujah Lihan about the programme to restore abandoned rubber plantations in Sarawak. She revealed that 553 hectares have been rehabilitated, and 365 hectares are currently undergoing restoration, involving 608 smallholder farmers this year, with an allocation of RM3.3 million under the Abandoned Rubber Plantation Programme (PGT).

Last year, 243 hectares of rubber plantations were rehabilitated, benefiting 142 smallholders, with an allocation of RM656,000 under PGT. Overall, 796 hectares have been successfully rehabilitated in Sarawak, with a total cost of RM3.956 million, benefiting 750 smallholders.