BAGAN SERAI: Planning for the raw water distribution project from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah Dam, partly to support the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) project and to supply treated water to Penang, is now in the final stages.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the project is expected to enhance the capability of distributing water for industrial and agricultural purposes in the Kerian and surrounding areas as well as several areas in Penang.

“… so the main water supply is not only for new development areas but also the whole of this (Kerian) district. From there it reaches Seberang Perai, Cherok Tok Kun, so the water supply (is distributed) to Penang, thanks to the kind efforts of the people of Perak Darul Ridzuan. Thank you very much,” he said at the Breaking of Fast with the Prime Minister event at Sekolah Dato’ Alauddin, Selinsing here today.

Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Last June, Anwar said the government had agreed to allocate an estimated RM4 billion for the implementation of the raw water distribution project from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam in Kerian.

Meanwhile, after the breaking of fast, Anwar performed congregational Maghrib prayers at the school’s surau before spending about 10 minutes surveying the school’s toilets, which are in need of repairs.

At the same event, Anwar also presented a grant for the Sejahtera Komuniti MADANI (SejaTi MADANI) programme amounting to RM13.4 million to Kerian District Officer Saidi Shaari and Hari Raya donations to 140 orphans.

Earlier, Anwar inspected the SejaTi MADANI project in Kampung Tebuk Haji Dollah, Bagan Serai and spent about 10 minutes listening to a briefing and watching a demonstration on the use of drone services for agricultural work in the area.

The briefing was given by Kampung Tebuk Haji Dollah Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) chairman Mohd Arshad Sabri.

The Kampung Tebuk Haji Dollah JPKK is among the communities which obtained a grant of RM100,000 through SejaTi MADANI from the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department (ICU JPM).

The initiative, led by the Kampung Tebuk Haji Dollah JPKK through this service, was mentioned by the Prime Minister when tabling Budget 2025 on Oct 18 last year.