KUANTAN, May 12 ― Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail has emphasised that the Pahang government never neglected the welfare of all the state’s people, including those from Opposition areas, although no allocation is given specifically for the elected representatives involved.

He said although no allocation is channelled directly to Opposition assemblymen, the aid still reached the people either through the Office of the Menteri Besar, the Office of the state assemblymen, the coordinator of the State Legislative Assembly or the District Office.

"The state government will continue to channel aid even if voters in the area did not choose us in the previous election. This is our responsibility as the government. The state government will channel aid continuously regardless of race, religion and political affiliation.

"For example, the schooling assistance of RM100 is given to all Year One pupil... we give it without asking the children about their parents’ political affiliation,” he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address of the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah during the Pahang state assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang, here, today.

Wan Rosdy also referred to the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Pahang State Development Project for 2023, which saw RM118.5 million allocated for the Opposition constituencies for various forms of development using allocations from the state government.

The state government, he said, also always considered giving allocations to Opposition assemblymen, with the State Finance Officer being asked to carry out a study and follow-up action for the proposed paper to be brought to the state government meeting council (MMK).

He also assured that the Opposition assemblymen can meet and discuss with the state government if they need any assistance, although the method of providing aid may be different.

He added that, if allocations are given, the amount may also be different because "never in history has the allocations for the Opposition and government (assemblymen) been the same”.

The issue of allocations to the Opposition was first raised at the Pahang state assembly on the second day of the sitting and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man today reminded Wan Rosdy that as an elected representative, he should understand the problems faced by service centres requiring allocations.

On the issue of water, Wan Rosdy reiterated the state government's commitment to ensuring 90 per cent of the state's water supply issues would be resolved by 2026.

At the same time, he hopes that the state government and Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (PAIP) will be given the "space and opportunity” to do so.

Wan Rosdy said that, so far, of the 217 water supply improvement projects costing RM2.3 billion as announced at the previous sitting, 82 had been completed as of April involving allocation costing RM47 million.

In addition, 37 projects are under construction costing RM299.9 million while 98 other projects costing RM1,996.6 million are at the pre-construction stage, which is design planning, approval or contractor appointment matters.

The projects were planned to overcome the state’s water supply problems, among them broken pipes, low water pressure, supply cuts, declining quality of raw water and replacement of old pipelines, he said.

Elaborating, he said water supply-related problems occurred not just in Pahang but also in all states, with the water services in some states worse than Pahang’s.

"The main issue is the low tariff rate. The last time a domestic water supply tariff study was done for Pahang was in 1983 and our domestic water tariff is the second lowest in Malaysia after Penang. The state government continues to persist with this tariff rate by taking into account the burden on the people,” he said. ― Bernama