Credit : Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof's X
SIBU, October 24, 2026 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof said a total of RM7.4 billion in project costs has been allocated for 46 water-related projects in Sarawak under Rolling Plan 1 of the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13), as he called on every Malaysian to treat river conservation as a shared responsibility rather than a seasonal campaign.
He made the remarks in a post shared on X on Saturday afternoon, October 24, in conjunction with the National-Level World Rivers Day 2026 celebration in Sibu, Sarawak, held under the theme “Sungai dan Alur dalam Komuniti Kita” (Rivers and Streams in Our Community). “Sungai bukan sekadar aliran air. Sungai ialah sumber kehidupan, nadi ekonomi, penghubung masyarakat dan warisan yang perlu kita pelihara untuk generasi akan datang,” he wrote, which translates as “A river is not merely a flow of water. A river is a source of life, the pulse of the economy, a link between communities and a heritage that we must preserve for generations to come.”
https://x.com/PetraJayaMP/status/2113895938679009570
RM7.4 billion for 46 projects
According to Fadillah, the 46 water-related projects in Sarawak under RMK13 Rolling Plan 1 comprise 33 continuing projects and 13 new projects. Of the RM7.4 billion total, RM5.8 billion involves projects under the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), covering flood mitigation, river conservation and coastal erosion protection works.
“This is not just an allocation figure,” he said in the post, describing the funding as part of the effort to strengthen water resource security, reduce disaster risk and improve the well-being of the people.
He added that the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), through the DID, is also carrying out an Integrated River Basin Management Study for the Batang Rajang basin, which is expected to be completed in August 2027. The study, he said, is hoped to support more integrated, systematic and sustained river management planning. Fadillah also highlighted the National River Trail (Denai Sungai Kebangsaan) initiative, which is being implemented across the country, including in Sarawak, to bring communities closer to rivers through education, recreation and community involvement.
Thanks to the Sarawak Premier
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his highest appreciation to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg for officiating the national-level celebration. He said the Premier’s presence demonstrated the government’s serious commitment to protecting the environment, particularly as rivers are so closely tied to the lives of the people of Sarawak. He noted that the Batang Rajang in Sibu forms part of the history and daily life of the Sarawak community.
Photographs shared with the post show Fadillah and the Premier greeting attendees, seated together at the event, and taking part in the launch ceremony on stage before a large crowd gathered under a marquee.
“Our rivers, our responsibility”
Fadillah stressed that the sustainability of rivers does not depend on the government alone, but requires commitment from all parties, from government agencies and industry to local communities and every individual. He urged the public not to throw rubbish into rivers, to report pollution, and to teach children to value the environment, adding that keeping rivers clean should become a culture rather than merely a seasonal campaign.
He said the approach going forward must combine organised planning, effective implementation and comprehensive cooperation, with the Federal Government, the Sarawak Government, implementing agencies, industry and the public continuing to work hand in hand. “Kerana sungai yang terpelihara hari ini menentukan kualiti kehidupan dan kelestarian alam sekitar pada masa hadapan,” he wrote, meaning “Because the rivers we preserve today determine the quality of life and environmental sustainability in the future.”
He called for this year’s World Rivers Day celebration to serve as a catalyst for continuous action rather than simply an annual event, closing his post with the message: “Sungai kita. Tanggungjawab kita. Masa depan kita bersama” — “Our rivers. Our responsibility. Our shared future.”
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