KOTA KINABALU, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- All new rural projects, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, will only be implemented based on the needs of the grassroots and not on the implementing agencies' senior management's.

Regional and Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said this move was important to ensure that the projects really met their targets and benefit the people as intended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"This time a special committee will look at the suitability of the projects proposed and will only approve the ones that can fulfil the needs of rural people.

"That is why we need a complete list of the projects for each area from the members of parliament and state assemblymen before the projects can be implemented," he said after opening the annual general meeting of the Sabah Farmers' Association, here, today.

Shafie said his ministry had already received most of the lists of proposed rural projects.

"To date, we have received 95 per cent of the lists of projects for Sarawak, while for Sabah, we are now working with the state Rural Development Ministry to get the complete list."

Shafie said his ministry had allocated RM2.3 billion in the 2010 Budget to implement various rural infrastructure projects, and out of this amount, RM857 would be for road construction and RM530 for water supply.

He said his ministry would also ensure that there would be no monopoly of projects by certain contractors, but would be fair to all constractors qualified to carry out the projects.

Earlier, in his speech, Shafie said the prime minister's Budget speech clearly demonstrated that the country needed productive farmers who practised modern farming to ensure adequate food supply and continued prosperity. (Bernama)