KUALA LUMPUR: The government has welcomed calls to involve members of parliament in implementing the Kampung Angkat Madani programme to ensure it meets community needs.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong told the Dewan Rakyat that under the 2027 Budget, the government will continue the Kampung Angkat Madani programme.
"The government welcomes the proposal that all projects implemented under the programme should involve engagement with local MPs.
"If there are any weaknesses, please inform the Finance Ministry and the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU)," he said during question time today.
He was responding to Datuk Dr Richard Rapu @ Aman Begri (GPS-Betong), who raised concerns over whether projects under the initiative addressed actual needs of communities and whether allocations were being used effectively.
Roslan Hashim (PN-Kulim-Bandar Baharu) also questioned the quality of work in his constituency, claiming some contractors appointed for the projects were from outside the area, adding that their work quality was disappointing.
Earlier, Liew said 221 villages had been approved under the Kampung Angkat Madani programme as of October, with RM104 million channelled towards its implementation this year.
The programme covered 43 villages in 2024 before expanding to 210 villages in 2025.
The initiative aims to improve facilities, infrastructure and community well-being by encouraging senior ministry and agency officials, as well as government-linked commpanies and government-linked investment companies, to understand local issues and develop solutions based on residents' needs.
Liew said several improvements had been introduced to improve the programme's implementation, including simplifying government procurement procedures to expedite projects and preventing multiple villages within the same parliamentary constituency from being selected.
The government had also prepared a list of priority schools for selection under the Sekolah Angkat Madani programme, based on needs involving basic infrastructure and skills development.
There are 781 schools approved in 2026, comprising 262 schools managed by government agencies and 519 supported by the corporate sector through corporate social responsibility programmes.
Liew said RM25 million had been channelled to the 262 schools managed by government agencies.
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