Rural Roads Programme financing prioritised, 2026 allocation rises to RM3.1b, says Amir Hamzah

The Malaysian government has increased funding for the Rural Roads Programme (JALB) for the year 2026, with the allocation rising to RM3.1 billion from the initial RM2.11 billion. The additional RM1 billion is made up of an extra RM500 million for the Rural and Regional Development Ministry (KKDW) and a previously announced Notice of Change (NOC) worth RM491 million.

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan stated that this allocation was approved to ensure the continuation of JALB projects and timely payment to contractors. The approval, granted through the Expenditure Exceeding Allocation Authorisation Letter (SKB), was released in stages: RM300 million on September 1, 2026, and RM200 million on September 21, 2026.

Despite this increased funding, Hamzah noted that it was still not enough to settle existing KKDW commitments. The additional funds for JALB are sourced from development expenditure savings of other ministries, including Women, Family and Community Development, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Agriculture and Food Security, Transport, Housing and Local Government, and Economy.