Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for flood mitigation projects to be given flexibility by the Treasury to speed up their implementation through immediate allocations in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy.
He said the initial screening process for projects must also be expedited, and awarding of contracts should ideally be done through tenders, as negotiated procurement methods have been prone to mismanagement and leakages, according to a report published in Utusan Malaysia today.
“It is best that we use the tender process, but under normal procedures, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof knows it would take too long.
“The people affected by floods cannot afford to wait. I hope this matter receives due attention,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly in Putrajaya today.
Anwar also stressed the need for urgent action and monitoring in eradicating hardcore poverty.
“The success rate of the hardcore poverty eradication programme is commendable, Alhamdulillah. However, the numbers continue to grow.
“For example, in my Tambun parliamentary constituency, there are still about 15 families in hardcore poverty, while in Perak overall, the number may exceed 100.
“If there are only 15 families left, we should be able to resolve their issues within two days to ensure hardcore poverty is eradicated,” he said.
He added that in the Federal Territories, hardcore poverty could be addressed through the Department of Social Welfare, zakat agencies, and religious councils.
“What matters is that even the smallest issues are resolved because, for a family, overcoming hardcore poverty is life-changing,” he said.
