Guan Eng gesa SPRM siasat belanja lebih peruntukan kementerian Zahid

DAP's Lim Guan Eng has urged the Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) to investigate claims of excessive spending by the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) under Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi. Lim claims that this is akin to the punishment given to the University of Technology Malaysia (UiTM) for over-spending RM260 million on UiTM Holdings Sdn Bhd without ministerial approval, as revealed by the Parliamentary Accounting and Audit Committee (PAC).

SPRM is currently investigating the losses of UiTM Holdings in 2023. Lim stated that given SPRM is currently investigating UiTM Holdings, it should also investigate Zahid's claims of excessive spending. If SPRM fails to take action due to Zahid's position, it would be unfair to UiTM. Zahid and his ministry should be punished for exceeding the allocated budget.

This move aims to prevent other ministries from repeating similar mistakes that could undermine national wealth and financial stability, according to Lim in a statement. Earlier this month, Zahid expressed disappointment over delayed payments to contractors working on projects, some of whom had to endure unpaid wages due to cash flow issues.

The Umno president said that some contractors under his ministry are still waiting for payment despite completing work and reaching project milestones as stipulated. The next day, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Johan Mahmood Merican revealed that contractors managing rural development projects have been facing delayed payments due to a large portion of the ministry's budget for rural roads in 2023 being allocated.

Johan stated that the ministry consistently overspends on rural road projects annually, with RM1.8 billion allocated in 2023 compared to the allocated RM1.1 billion, RM2 billion in 2024 compared to RM1.3 billion, and RM2.3 billion in 2025 compared to RM1.6 billion. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim subsequently directed both ministries to discuss and resolve the issue.

Lim noted that the ministry's overspending from 2023 to 2025 amounts to RM2.1 billion, which he described as irresponsible, as it violates established financial procedures and could invite legal action.