Overspending claims politically motivated, says Zahid’s aide

Razlan Rafii, political secretary to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, dismissed Lim Guan Eng's claim that the rural and regional development ministry had overspent, alleging the allegations were made in bad faith. The deputy prime minister was accused of pulling the RM2.1 billion figure out of thin air without seeking clarification from the Treasury.

Lim had urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the ministry's spending, which he claimed had resulted in a cumulative RM2.1 billion in over-expenditure from 2023 to 2025. The rural development minister had expressed frustration over delayed payments to contractors on ministry projects, with some forced to shut down due to cash flow issues.

Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican later revealed that contractors handling rural development projects were facing delayed payments due to the ministry exceeding its approved allocation for rural roads in recent years. Razlan claimed Lim's remarks were politically motivated, intended to damage Zahid's image ahead of the Melaka polls, and urged Lim to focus on settling his own corruption case.