BALING: The Federal Government has agreed to develop several paddy granary areas in Kedah, particularly in urban areas, to boost the state’s economic growth, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that based on previous discussions, the Kedah state government had expressed its intention to reduce the size of paddy granaries in urban areas to make way for other development projects, including industrial, housing, and commercial ventures.
“I shared my views and the Cabinet agreed that we should expand development slightly by reducing the padi granary areas.
“The (Kedah) State Secretary (SUK) is currently in negotiations to identify new areas so that Kedah’s needs in terms of industry, housing and commerce can be met,” he said.
He said this when speaking at the closing ceremony of the MADANI Rakyat Programme at the Baling District Council Sports Complex here today, which was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
In addition, the Prime Minister said allocations for Kedah have also consistently increased, from RM7.1 billion in 2021 to RM9.7 billion for 2025.
He said the allocations were channelled according to the state’s needs, for example, in Kedah, flood mitigation projects must be implemented to reduce the risk of declining padi yields.
At the same time, Anwar thanked the Kedah Menteri Besar for his good cooperation with the Federal Government thus far.
The Prime Minister also reminded all parties not to be involved in corrupt practices and to carry out their responsibilities with utmost integrity. – Bernama
