Jabu blamed for failures of RGCs

KUCHING, Nov 12, 2014: Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian is attributing the  failures of the Rural Growth Centres (RGCs) in Sarawak to Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Rural Development Alfred Jabu Numpang.

"If what have been mentioned in the Auditor-General's Report are correct, then he should be held responsible as well as officers involved in the development of the RGCs," Baru told reporters on the sidelines of the Sarawak State Assembly sitting here today.

Picture: Baru (seated, second right) talking to reporters at the sidelines of the State Assembly sitting yesterday.

He said that the state government should conduct an investigation into the failures of the RGCs which are being implemented by the Sarawak Ministry of Rural Development.

Baru remarked that the development of RGCs have always been used by the BN government as an election gimmick to lure the support of the voters.

Baru, who is also the State Assemblyman for Ba'Kelalan, also questioned why no impact studies had been conducted on the achievements or successes of the RGCs over the last 18 years.

AG Ambrin Buang in his latest report slammed the State Rural Development Ministry for its failure to conduct impact studies on achievements and successes of the RGCs.

This is despite the fact that RGCs have been implemented since 18 years ago.

Ambrin had also said the usage and maintenance of public facilities in six out of eight RGCs needed to be improved while another two- Semop and Opar  RGCs - still do not have public facilities.

He said the proposed RGC at Long Semadoh is in the process of being review.

Ambrin said an audit carried out on 10 RGCs showed that seven of them - Telaga Air, Padawan, Gedong, Balingian, Beladin, Mid-Layar/Nanga Spak and Sunda/Awat-Awat have been provided with basic facilities.

The development of the Semop RGC involves an earth-filling work while the Long Lama RGC does not have any infrastructures being carried out by the Ministry of Rural Development, apart from the construction of a clinic by the Health Ministry.

In the case of the Opar RGC, only access road has been constructed, according to the AG.

The AG, in his report released in Parliament on Monday, called on the ministry to re-study the implementation of the RGCs programmes in tandem with the current development.

"Likewise a comprehensive impact study to evaluate the achievements of RGCs development programmes should be carried out so that the results of the study may provide input for improvement of the implementation of RGC programmes.

"This should include aspects on suitability of project’s locality and the involvements of the local community," he said.

He said the Land Custody And Development Authority (LCDA) has to ensure close supervision on works in implementing projects so that any short comings be settled accordingly.

He added the Ministry Of Rural Development Sarawak should co-operate with other agencies

regarding the maintenance and supervision of RGC projects.

The government has allocated RM385.86 million for the development of RGCs from the 6th MP to 10th MP, with the actual expenditure as of May 2014 amounting to RM223.79 million.

The RGCs were in 1990 to transform the rural sector, especially the backward areas with a population of up to 5,000, to become more progressive and

sustainable.

RGCs are to provide infrastructure, economic development, services centre and human capital development.

The State Government plans to implement the RGC development programmes over a 20-year period starting from 1996 till 2015, that is, from the 7th Malaysia Plan to the 10th Malaysia Plan.

The State Ministry Of Rural Development is responsible for the planning, co-ordinating, implementing and monitoring of these programmes.

Initially RGC development programmes involved several implementing agencies such as Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Sarawak Land Development Board, Drainage And Irrigation Department Sarawak, Agriculture Department Sarawak and Land Custody And Development Authority Sarawak (PELITA).

In 2003, the RGC Project Steering Committee appointed LCDA as the main implementing agency for

RGC projects development.

The appointment of LCDA is to work closely with the ministry to ensure the planning, co-ordinating, implementing and monitoring of RGC projects are carried out more effectively.