IPOH: The Perak State Legislative Assembly today unanimously approved the state's Supply Bill 2025 and the Perak Development Fund 2025.
The deficit budget sees an allocation of RM1.52 billion, comprising RM981.8 million for operating expenses and RM538 million for development.
The bill was approved after being debated by 45 assemblymen, 19 of whom were from the government bloc.
However, state opposition leader Razman Zakaria was not present today as he has been hospitalised.
In his winding-up speech, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMIC) project is currently at the feasibility study stage.
He said that the project is planned to involve seven strategic locations, namely LuMIC 1 to LuMIC 7, situated along the Manjung and Bagan Datuk districts.
"The area is set to be equipped with port terminal facilities, maritime sectors, and logistics aimed at meeting the needs of industry players," he said.
Saarani said the state government has requested a funding allocation of RM20 million from the Finance Ministry to conduct detailed exploration to verify the actual reserves of non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE) deposits that can be exploited.
He said that various plans have been outlined to ensure the continuity of the successes achieved, positioning Perak as a leader in the industry, not only within the country but also in the region.
"The state government is also taking a strategic approach by planning the exploration of new potential NR-REE areas to ensure the continuity of the industry development ecosystem in Perak.
"Between February 2023 and April this year, the NR-REE mining project produced an estimated export volume of 13,103 metric tons of raw NR-REE materials to China.
"This outstanding performance generated revenue of RM257.358 million, with royalty returns amounting to RM45.878 million for the state government," he said.
In regard to the proposal to increase the float rate of the District Disaster Fund, Saarani was pleased to announce that the state government has agreed to double the float value to RM100,000.
"It is hoped that this move will help expedite the provision of assistance to victims, especially in districts that are often affected by disasters," he added.
On a concern raised about the name "Program Tuisyen Cikgu Saarani" potentially being seen as a measure to gain political popularity, Saarani clarified that the name was not his idea but a suggestion from the administration of the Menteri Besar's office.
"However, after this matter was raised, I sought the opinion of the state legal advisor, who confirmed that the name does not violate the law as it is merely a term.
"I would like to clarify that the program is not a political tool. The various events organised under this initiative aim to improve the educational excellence and development of our children.
"Its implementation is not selective; it is open to all children of Perak regardless of race, religion, or political ideology," he added.
He also announced a two-month management allowance bonus for all 59 state assemblymen's service centers, with a one-off payment of RM14,000.