Overspending issue resolved, says senior finance ministry official

Treasury deputy secretary general (policy) Zamzuri Abdul Aziz confirmed that the allegation of the rural and regional development ministry overspending its allocation has been resolved. The matter was discussed after an event at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today. DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng had previously urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the purported over-expenditure by the ministry, which he claimed amounted to RM2.1 billion from 2023 to 2025.

Lim's statement was seen as politically motivated by Zahid's political secretary, Razlan Rafii, who accused him of tarnishing the Umno president's image ahead of the Melaka polls. Zahid expressed frustration over delayed payments to contractors handling ministry projects, citing cash flow issues. The issue of delayed payments arose after Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican revealed that the ministry had consistently exceeded its approved allocation for rural road projects, with RM1.8 billion spent in 2023, RM2 billion in 2024, and RM2.3 billion in 2025, all exceeding their respective approved allocations.

Despite Zahid's denial, it was acknowledged that the ministry sometimes had to pay for expenses not covered by specific allocations.