Check your facts, PM’s aide tells Zahid counterpart in funding spat

Perturbed by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's press secretary Fadzmel Fadzil questioning the Treasury's claims on rural development ministry spending, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah urged Fadzmel to verify his facts once more. Tunku firmly believed that the finance ministry's statement on the matter was not issued recklessly, attributing the thoroughness and excellence of the Treasury secretary-general, a senior civil servant.

The dispute began when Zahid, the rural and regional development minister, alleged that payments to contractors executing rural development projects were delayed, forcing some contractors to close due to cash flow issues. He claimed that certain contractors under his ministry were still unpaid, despite completing work and meeting project milestones.

In response, the finance ministry secretary-general, Johan Mahmood Merican, attributed the delays to the fact that most of the year's allocation for rural road projects had already been spent.

Moreover, Johan asserted that Zahid's ministry had consistently exceeded its approved annual allocation for rural road projects since 2023. However, Fadzmel argued that it was impossible for the ministry to spend more than its approved annual allocation, as all funding requests are submitted to the Treasury, and expenditures are processed through the Putrajaya financial management system.