Ensuring projects are on track and on schedule

10/24/2010 — New Sunday Times
Pahang is on the right track to be a developed state by 2020 as various high impact projects are progressing on schedule.
The progress of all the main projects are being monitored closely by Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah who will personally inspect and give his input to those involved.
At the same time the sultan also keeps abreast with the proposed projects in the state and has on many occasions consented to share his views and thoughts to the state government.
In his speech at the opening of the 12th state assembly meeting on April 12 Sultan Ahmad Shah talked about the state governments plan to implement 1,231 projects worth RM15.6 billion under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
“I’m confident that the harmonious conditions in Pahang will give leverage to the state governments application to the Federal Government,” he said in his speech which was read by Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Therefore, Sultan Ahmad Shah said it was important for the state government to establish an effective public delivery system that would ensure that the projects could be implemented successfully and benefit the state and the people.
He also said it was important to upgrade the “Central Spine Federal Road,” which connects Kuala Krai Gua Musang Kuala Lipis-Simpang Pelangai-Kuala Pilah, as it will spur development and economic activities along the route.
Sultan Ahmad Shah believes that new routes should also be created between Sungai Lembing and Jerantut; Benta, Jerantut and Maran; Kuantan and Segambut; Bahau and Keratong; and Cherok Paloh and Tanjung Gosong under the 10th Malaysia Plan.
He is also pleased that the state government has proposed two sites for the construction of a new airport apart from the proposed expansion of Kuantan Port and the development of Kuantan Port City.
Under the East Coast Economic Region ECER master plan Kuantan Port City will see the existing harbour facilities upgraded to pave the way for Kuantan to become an integrated terminal and logistics hub for the petrochemical palm oil, automotive and container market, as well as a major industrial and manufacturing zone.
“The state will also have a bigger utility capacity with the construction of water treatment plants in Panching, Kuantan and Ganchong Pekan and the upgrading of similar plants in Pelangai and Mempaga in Bentong,” said Sultan Ahmad Shah.
Internet penetration in Pahang is expected to reach 30 percent this year and the sultan lauds the state government and telecommunication companies for their efforts.
He also commended the steps taken by the Federal Government to expand the permanent food production park in Pahang which will make the state a major producer of papaya, jackfruit, pineapple and banana, particulary in Lanchang, Temerloh.
The ECER initiative will also promote pineapple growing in Rompin, as well as cattle breeding and a research centre in Muadzam Shah.
The state will also become ECER’s automotive manufacturing, assembly and distribution hub, as well as for the development of design activities with the support of educational institutions including Universiti Malaysia Pahang.
Pahang is expected to earn an extra RM70 million annually when the Pahang-Selangor interstate raw water transfer project is completed in 2014.
Menteri Besar Datuk Sen Adnan Yaakob said the money could be used to overcome the state’s own water supply problems.
“The state government realises that Pahang is still having water supply problems but it is only related to the delivery system he said at a ground-breaking ceremony for the project in Karak which was performed by Sultan Ahmad Shah on April 6.
Also present were Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Abdullah Green Technology, Energy and Water Minister Datuk Sen Peter Chin Fah Kui Health Minister and Bentong member of parliament Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan.
According to Adnan the problem arose because the 12,000km piping system and 80 water treatment plants were old.
Adnan said the RM9 billion inter-state water supply project demonstrated the sultan’s concern for the people including those in other states.
Pahang, which covers an area of 35,960 sq km, is the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia and has abundant water supply It can help overcome the water supply problems in other states.
The project will benefit about five million people in the Klang Valley particularly Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Adnan also said Pahang was willing to build a water treatment plant in the state if the Selangor government continued to delay the construction of such a facility as part of the project.
He said Pahang had no problem building the plant and supplying treated water to Selangor to ensure the project’s completion by 2014.
“We have been supporting the project and are ready to supply the water as agreed,” he said earlier this year.
Pahang and Selangor had,in 2007 signed a concession agreement for the supply of raw water at 10 sen per cubic metre with the rate to be reviewed every five years.
Once completed in May 2014, some 1,890 million litres of raw water from Sungai Semantan in Pahang will be channelled daily, through a 44.6km tunnel through the Main Range to Sungai Hulu Langat in Selangor.
The tunnel, which will be the largest and longest water tunnel in Southeast Asia and the sixth largest in the world, will help convey raw water from Pahang to ensure that there will be sufficient water for consumers in the Klang Valley Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Upon completion, the project will meet rising demands for water supply in Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur until 2025.