Keep civil servants out of political spats, say Kian Ming, KJ

Former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming and former minister Khairy Jamaluddin expressed concern over civil servants being dragged into political disputes. They argued that such involvement could demoralise the civil service and damage its reputation. Ong, who served as deputy international trade and industry minister, stated that development spending is subject to established processes, and disagreements over allocations and spending typically do not escalate to ministers.

He deemed the current situation unprecedented and asked if civil servants would view it as a signal that politicians prioritize political games over proper financial management processes. Khairy concurred that the matter should be resolved internally and questioned why the spending exceeded an approved allocation, suggesting possible explanations such as outstanding claims or variation orders.

The dispute between the rural and regional development ministry and the Treasury over delayed payments to contractors on rural development projects was sparked by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's frustration over the delays. Treasury Secretary-General Johan Mahmood Merican explained that most of the year's allocation for rural road projects had already been spent, causing payment constraints.

However, Zahid's aide Fadzmel Fadzil disputed this, leading to a heated exchange. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim eventually intervened, urging the relevant parties to resolve the matter amicably, emphasizing that turning the issue into a political one would not solve the problem.