KUALA LUMPUR: In a span of eight years, the Government has allocated more than RM550mil to develop new villages.

New village master plan taskforce team leader Fong Tian Yong said from 2000 to 2008, there were a total of 10,644 projects by the MCA to develop some 450 new villages.

He said the main focus was to upgrade the infrastructure.

“Floods make up 62% of the problems faced by new villages, due to poor drainage systems,” Fong said yesterday.

He added that many of the drainage systems in the new villages had been upgraded and such projects were ongoing.

“There will also be a guideline for proper landscaping and plans to train the villagers on various, aspects such as how to maintain the infrastructure.

“To encourage a healthy lifestyle, basketball courts and community halls were built,” he added.

He said MCA also wanted to get these new villages connected to the IT world, and among the steps taken were the setting up of a web-page called e-kampung baru.

Former MCA deputy president Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek said the people knew from experience that the Barisan Nasional had a track record of being a stable government.

“When people face problems, who do they seek help from? The MCA,” said Lim.

source: theStar