Set up special body to monitor ministries’ spending, says Puad

Former deputy education minister Puad Zarkashi has called for the establishment of a special body to oversee ministries' development expenditures. The former deputy minister expressed shock at the large amount of funds returned by the rural and regional development ministry to the finance ministry, citing discrepancies between allocated and actual spending.

Puad suggested that the special unit should focus on preventing overspending, while also monitoring ministries that underutilize their allocated funds. He reasoned that ministries, especially those addressing urgent needs, should not be underspending. Puad's comments came in response to revelations from the Treasury that the deputy prime minister's ministry had consistently exceeded its approved budget for rural road projects over the past three years, spending RM2.3 billion in 2025 against an approved allocation of RM1.6 billion.