Rm250m to repair fishermen's houses since 2015: Ahmad Shabery

ALOR STAR: The government had allocated RM250 million to repair the houses of fishermen in the country since 2015, said Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
He said about 25,000 fishermen had benefited from the programme, with the cost of repairing a house at a maximum of RM10,000.
"This programme has to be expanded in the future," he said to reporters after meeting fishermen of Yan and Kuala Kedah at the Kuala Sala complex of the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) near here today. Also present was LKIM director-general Datuk M Saedon Ab Majid.
Ahmad Shabery also said that the government had approved an allocation of RM350,000 to upgrade the Kuala Sala LKIM complex which had been subject to flooding during high tide.
The allocation was for the installation of gabion cages to check erosion and raise the height of the retaining wall, he added.
"We will see what else we can do to help because the place has become a new square that can be used for activities. The square needs to be upgraded, for example, the surface can be tarred. We will seek more allocations.
"For the people of Kuala Sala, the complex offers the ideal place of gathering for activities. The people do not have any place to hold their activities or meetings," he said.
On another matter, Ahmad Shabery said there was an adequate supply of coconuts for the Thaipusam festival.
"If supply falls short, we will import coconuts. We import 100 million coconuts annually. We consume about 700 million coconuts annually," he said. — Bernama