Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi meeting residents of Matunggong, north Sabah, before the opening of the Rungus cultural festival today. (Bernama pic)KUDAT : The federal government is to allocate RM4 billion to the Sabah state government to finance rural water supply projects throughout the state, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today. “The allocation will be channelled mainly to rural areas, including Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas, which are among the poorest districts in Malaysia,” he said when opening the Rungus cultural festival in Matunggong. He said the federal government places special focus on basic infrastructure development and efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah’s rural areas. Zahid said his ministry would continue to monitor progress of the water projects and provide technical support.