Clean Water Supply Projects To Benefit 15,000 Estate Workers

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Clean water supply projects starting in June involving 41 estates are expected to benefit 15,000 estate workers in Peninsular Malaysia, said Human Resources Minister Dr S.Subramaniam. He said this was one of the programmes which would be realised to improve the welfare of estate workers in the country with a total allocation of RM50 million (US$16.3 million) under the 2012 Budget. "Water supply will be directly connected to the estates' water tanks over a distance of not more than five kilometres from the estates' entrance. "The 41 estates will later upgrade the piping within to ensure public water supply reaches each worker's quarters," he said after presenting federal allocation cheques for a total of RM610,000 (US$198,884.94) to 17 non-governmental organisations. On the selection of estates to benefit from the clean water supply projects, he said the ministry had to shortlist the estates due to cost factor. "For this programme, we only involve estates which are willing to connect public water supply to the workers' quarters. "If the distance from an estate's entrance to the workers' quarters is far, it will escalate the cost for the estate's management and discourage them from undertaking the project," he said. -- BERNAMA