{
  "id": 17217023,
  "title": "No rural road projects cancelled, only new contracts deferred, says Zafrul",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/no-rural-road-projects-cancelled-only-new-contracts-deferred-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T10:57:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1567110/no-rural-road-projects-cancelled-only-new-contracts-deferred-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Finance Ministry (MOF) has never issued any directive to cancel rural road projects, but has only deferred new contracts to prevent outstanding payments to contractors from continuing to accumulate, says the prime minister's senior political adviser Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malaysiakini",
        "title": "'Postponed indefinitely' means cancelled, right? Zahid's aide quizzes MOF over rural road projects",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/postponed-indefinitely-means-cancelled-right-zahids-aide-quizzes-mof",
        "published": "2026-10-30T10:19:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "MOF never ordered rural road projects cancelled, only deferred new contracts, says Tengku Zafrul",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/mof-never-ordered-rural-road-projects-cancelled-only-deferred-new",
        "published": "2026-10-30T10:31:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}