PUTATAN, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya expressed hope that the process for procurement tendering for projects to resolve the water supply issue in Sabah under the RM320 million allocation from the federal government will proceed smoothly. He said the procurement process had undergone various stages since the allocation was announced in June last year. Asked about the latest status of the allocation, Shahelmey, who is also Sabah Works Minister, said the funds have yet to be utilised. 'The federal (Works) Ministry has exempted value engineering for the pre-procurement process, which means we can proceed with calling for tenders. The funds will be channelled for the issuance of letters of acceptance. 'The tender process should be held this month but the documentation needs to be updated,' he told reporters after attending the Jiwa Komuniti MADANI programme featuring an outdoor screening party (wayang pacak) at the Taman Sri Serigai People's Housing Project (PPR) in conjunction with t he Installation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the 17th King of Malaysia. In another development, the Putatan Member of Parliament said that there should be more PPR housing in the district because the two projects in Putatan (in Taman Sri Serigai and Taman Sri Keramat) are fully occupied. He said his office had submitted applications to the federal government last year to build two more PPRs in Kampung Potuki and Pasir Putih. 'The National Housing Department officials had visited those sites. But we were told that only the PPR site in Kuala Penyu was approved under the 2024 Budget and (the PPR projects) in Putatan are KIVed,' he added. Source: BERNAMA News Agency