The prime minister said these projects were part of the transformation plan implemented by the government.

“We do not want fishermen to be exempted from the transformation programme.

“As the country progresses towards the developed-nation status, the fishermen must also move forward together with other people,” he said when opening the Muafakat Kedah Fishermen’s Housing Estate in Tanjung Dawai near here.

Present at the event were Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek and Tanjung Dawai state assemblyman Tajul Urus Mat Zain.

Najib said the Barisan Nasional government always looked after the welfare of the people and was concerned about the plight of fishermen.

“This transformation is brought by Umno and our BN colleagues. The opposition manifesto does not at all mention the welfare of villagers and fishermen. Only the BN government works on this.”

On the housing project in Tanjung Dawai, Najib said it was the first of its kind and it would be extended to other parts of the country.

He said the fishermen’s cost-of-living allowance of between RM200 and RM300 could offset the rent for the house. Thus, it was like getting a home for free.

Najib also said the government had approved RM147 million to upgrade the Bukit Selambau water treatment plant, enabling the facility to raise the output from 30 million litres per day to 70 million litres from April.

The government would repair the water tank tower and replace the mains in the Merbok and Tanjung Dawai areas at a cost of RM19 million. It will also build the Sungai Merbok off-river storage at a cost of RM50 million, he said.

“At the request of assemblyman Tajul, I have approved RM6 million to upgrade the LKIM (Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority) Complex in Tanjung Dawai,” he added.