{
  "id": 15681869,
  "title": "Bukan semua masalah infrastruktur tanggungjawab Putrajaya, kata ahli akademik",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/bukan-semua-masalah-infrastruktur-tanggungjawab-putrajaya-kata-ahli",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T01:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/10/20/bukan-semua-masalah-infrastruktur-tanggungjawab-putrajaya-kata-ahli-akademik"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysian academics emphasize that not all infrastructure issues are the responsibility of the federal government. The distribution of responsibility between the federal and state governments is largely determined by the Federal Constitution, as outlined in the Federal, State, and Concurrent lists. Prof. Ramli Dollah from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) warns that people should be careful not to assume that all infrastructure problems are solely the responsibility of the federal government.\n\nCertain areas like defense, internal security, education, and health fall under the federal government's jurisdiction. On the other hand, states are responsible for land, agriculture, forestry, and local government matters. Responsibilities related to community welfare, urban and rural planning, and some public health aspects are shared between both levels of government.\n\nFor example, land and forestry are under state jurisdiction, meaning that issues related to forest management and natural resources should be addressed based on the relevant state government's responsibility. However, the federal government also contributes various forms of funding to support state-level development and infrastructure projects.\n\nMajor road construction projects are an example of the division of responsibility between federal and state governments. Federal highways are under the jurisdiction of the federal government, while state roads are managed by state governments, and some roads fall under local authorities. Nonetheless, the state's responsibility for road maintenance does not mean that all costs are borne by the state's own resources. The federal government also provides the National Road Maintenance Assistance Scheme (MARRIS) to help fund state road maintenance projects.\n\nFor water supply, Professor Aimi Zulhazmi Abdul Rashid from the University of Kuala Lumpur explains that responsibility also involves more than one party. Water sources and rivers fall under the state's jurisdiction, while surface and groundwater supply services in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan are listed under the Concurrent list after constitutional amendments in 2005. This situation can result in what is known as a \"split incentive,\" where the party providing funding for infrastructure development may not necessarily receive direct benefits or returns from that investment.\n\nIn terms of public education and healthcare, these are primarily the responsibility of the federal government. However, schools and hospitals in specific states do not automatically become the responsibility of the state government, as they are operated by the federal government within their respective states. This means that a school or hospital in a particular state is not automatically considered a state responsibility.\n\nFor the 2026 budget, the federal government allocates RM46.5 billion to the Ministry of Health, including RM1.2 billion for hospital maintenance and rehabilitation, and RM100 million for upgrading district hospitals. In the education sector, the federal budget for 2026 is estimated to be RM74.37 billion.\n\nIn Sabah and Sarawak, the division of responsibilities is slightly different due to their additional jurisdiction granted in the Constitution. Apart from the Federal and Concurrent lists, both states have additional lists for their respective jurisdictions. This situation, according to Prof. Ramli, is a result of the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when Sabah and Sarawak brought along with them different areas of jurisdiction and natural resources compared to peninsular states. Nonetheless, this additional jurisdiction does not mean that the federal government is less involved in funding development and services in both states.",
  "summary": "Bidang kuasa, pelaksana projek dan sumber pembiayaan perlu dibezakan kerana ketiga-tiganya boleh melibatkan kerajaan berbeza.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Bukan semua masalah infrastruktur tanggungjawab Putrajaya, kata ahli akademik",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/bukan-semua-masalah-infrastruktur-tanggungjawab-putrajaya-kata-ahli-15682997",
        "published": "2026-10-20T01:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}