Latest news with #PlanMalaysia
New Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Sanusi thanks PM for RM1bil padi boost, seeks RM200mil more
ALOR STAR: Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for approving RM1 billion to upgrade padi production infrastructure in Kedah. However, Sanusi said that this allocation was a separate issue from the RM200 million fiscal incentive the state government had requested from the federal government to maintain padi cultivation areas and ensure the country's rice supply. "This is a different matter. The RM1 billion allocation concerns the land assessment collected on padi fields, which is a source of state revenue," he said. "The RM200 million is crucial for managing the state, which has a growing population and increasing administrative and salary demands. Without additional revenue, we are limited by restricted resources," he told reporters after the state assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Aman today. Yesterday, Anwar reiterated that the government had approved RM1 billion as an incentive for a programme aimed at boosting padi production in Kedah. In February, every two years in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) region. On Monday, Sanusi said that the state government would continue to negotiate with the federal government to review a proposal by the Town and Country Planning Department, which suggested an annual payment of RM41 million to Kedah under the National Food Resources Land Usage Masterplan to retain padi fields in the state. Meanwhile, Sanusi clarified that the state government did not reject the RM41 million annual calculation proposed by the Department of Town and Country Planning Malaysia (PlanMalaysia). "I didn't say we rejected it. When they (PlanMalaysia) presented their proposal, we submitted a counter-proposal. We didn't dismiss their calculations. "I'm not sure whether the RM41 million will remain the same or be adjusted. Whether it increases or decreases, I can't say, but our claim remains at RM200 million annually because this reflects the loss we've sustained over hundreds of years," he added.
Free Malaysia Today
21-04-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Kedah turns down RM41mil padi incentive, insists on RM200mil
Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor said the amount proposed by the town and country planning department does not account for the losses borne by the state for maintaining padi cultivation land. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The Kedah government has rejected the federal government's RM41 million compensation valuation for preserving 113,000 hectares of padi cultivation land in the state. In a Sinar Harian report, Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor said the amount fell short of the RM200 million the state had requested to sustain its role as the country's padi production hub. Sanusi said the amount proposed by the town and country planning department (PlanMalaysia) did not account for the losses borne by the state for maintaining padi cultivation land. 'To this day, Kedah's application for RM200 million is still under the federal government's consideration, even though several engagement sessions have taken place,' Sanusi said during a state assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Aman today. 'Perhaps the country's fiscal constraints prevent the federal government from committing to such a large sum. But with a national annual budget of RM430 billion, allocating RM200 million to Kedah to preserve its padi-growing areas should be a priority. 'It is more important than industrial zones because we produce food for the country.' He said that as the country's rice bowl, Kedah had not only sacrificed vast areas for padi fields but had also maintained forests as catchment areas and water sources. Sanusi said the state could earn RM1.7 billion in land tax annually if it converted all land designated for padi production to commercial land. However, he said Kedah remains committed to maintaining its padi fields and continuing negotiations with Putrajaya. Last June, Kedah's Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah said the state's request for a RM200 million incentive would be a fair exchange for its commitment to preserving the 113,000 hectares of padi land, which account for 43% of Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency.
