KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressed the urgent need to address critical issues, such as hardcore poverty and flood mitigation, including revising current project projections.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, highlighted that these issues directly impact the interests and safety of the people's lives and property.

"I agree with the discussion that we must overhaul our approach, because floods cost lives and property. If we need to save funds from other expenses, we will; if borrowing is necessary, we will borrow.

"All urgent initiatives, such as those addressing hardcore poverty and flood mitigation, must be expedited, and not adhere to the five or six-year projections. We need to resolve these problems as quickly as possible," he said at the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly in Putrajaya, today.

The Prime Minister further urged the secretaries-general (KSU) of all ministries to study these pressing issues, including taking proactive measures by visiting the affected areas, to personally monitor the problems faced by the people.

"Otherwise, the KSU will simply visit and note that the flood mitigation scheme in Rantau Panjang is complete in phase one, phase two is scheduled for 2026, and phase three is planned for 2029. Are the people of Rantau Panjang expected to wait 15 years for completion? There's no need to discuss the state's capacity - I don't want to hear that. What I know is we must resolve this.

"Collaboration and change certainly require substantial financial resources, but if we must reduce allocations from other areas, we will, because the basic issues facing the people must be addressed," he said.

-- BERNAMA