Tiada isu lulus peruntukan sehari sebelum DUN bubar, kata SPRM

The issue of a budget allocation issued by the previous government of Negeri Sembilan just one day before the Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) was dissolved, according to the SPRM (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Watch), is not a concern as the administration remains valid and has the power to create policies and announce budgets. SPRM Chief Abd Halim Halim stated that the government in power can do whatever is within the law, provided it does not violate the Constitution or the laws.

He added that the situation is different if the budget or new policies are created after the DUN was dissolved during a state of emergency. State emergency does not allow the state government to create new policies or give budgets that can bind the future government formed after the general elections. If the budget was issued while the state was in emergency, it is different, according to Abd Halim.

When asked about SPRM investigating allegations of a RM180,000 budget allocation given to a PH (Pakatan Harapan) MP one day before the DUN was dissolved on June 5th, he mentioned that it does not imply SPRM will confirm the budget allocation free from any corruption or bias, rather such an assessment can only be made based on facts and the reports received by the authority.

Prior to this, Negeri Sembilan's Chief Minister Ismail Lasim had instructed 17 PH MPs and two DUN leaders under the previous Negeri Sembilan government to return the returned budget for the July to September period following the DUN dissolution. Essentially, each ex-co had to return RM150,000 for the August and September budgets, while 10 PH MPs and two DUN leaders from Labu and Paroi had to return RM174,000 and RM150,000, respectively, for the July to September period.

The RM180,000 budget allocation allegation that was raised in the First Session of the Negeri Sembilan DUN's First Reading Debate on August 18th sparked controversy.