Kedah to give funeral, housing and football aid

THE Kedah  legislative assembly yesterday passed the 2014 budget, which saw the Barisan Nasional-led state government, tabling it for the first time after taking over the state  in the general election in May, announcing more assistance for the people.

The highlights were RM100 worth of gifts to newborns, RM250 funeral cash aid for people in Kedah beginning January and the construction of 20,000 affordable houses in the next five years.

As recognition of the contribution of 562 siak (mosque committee members), the state government recommended their monthly allowance be raised by RM200 from RN275 to RM475.

To bring back the golden years of Kedah football, Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (BN-Ayer Hitam) announced a RM10 million allocation for the Kedah Football Association (KFA).

During the sitting, state Women Development, Welfare Services, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Datuk Suraya Yaacob (BN- Sungai Tiang) announced a RM4 million allocation for funeral cash aid to Kedahans, regardless of their household income bracket.

Suraya had good news for padi farmers in the state, saying the state government was discussing with the Agricultural and Agro-based Ministry, Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas) and the authorities to review the floor price of padi, which stood at RM750 per tonne.

State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Badrol Hisham Hashim (BN-Kuala Nerang) said the Federal Government, through the 1Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA), would build 20,000 units of affordable houses to help the low- and-middle income earners own a house in the next five years.

In his concluding speech during the 2014 Budget debate session, Mukhriz announced that Kedah would become the first state to sign the Integrity Pledge.

He said the move was in line with the state government's effort to improve the level of good governance and combating corruption.

Mukhriz said he had discussed the matter with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Paul Low Seng Kwan.

He said the move was part of his administration's initiative to improve the state government's revenue and reduce leakages.

Citing an example, Mukhriz said the previous Pas-led administration had collected a RM1,000 logging concession premium from the market value of RM11,000.

"The state government got only RM1,000, while the state government-linked company (GLC) made about RM5,000 before selling the concession to a third party, who would then sell it to another buyer at RM11,000," he told the House.

Read more: Kedah to give funeral, housing and football aid - General - New Straits