{
  "id": 6102364,
  "title": "Zahid denies ministry spent beyond approved allocation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/zahid-denies-ministry-spent-beyond-approved-allocation-6102364",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-07T05:08:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/07/zahid-denies-ministry-spent-beyond-approved-allocation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rural and regional development minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has refuted claims that his ministry overspent beyond its approved budget allocations. Despite Treasury officials stating that the ministry had exceeded its budget for rural road projects, Zahid insisted that no ministry would exceed the budget announced in the annual financial plan.\n\nDuring a joint event with the communications ministry in Cyberjaya, Zahid emphasized that the ministry adheres to the principle of measuring success not solely by the number of programmes or participants, but also by the proper utilization of the allocated budget. He clarified that if any expenses arise that were not specifically allocated, the ministry would have to cover those costs.\n\nZahid expressed confidence that the rural and regional development ministry would not dare to spend beyond the limits set by the budget. He pointed out that contractors had completed some rural projects but were facing delays in receiving payments, with some even facing cash-flow issues or closure. In response to these challenges, Treasury secretary-general Johan Mahmood Merican revealed that most of the year's allocation for rural road projects had already been spent, leading to payment constraints.\n\nAccording to Merican, the allocation for rural road projects had been fully disbursed, and the ministry had consistently spent more than its approved annual budget for such projects in recent years.",
  "summary": "Rural and regional development minister, however, says the ministry sometimes has to pay for expenses not covered by a specific allocation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "KKDW will not spend beyond approved allocation, says Zahid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/kkdw-will-not-spend-beyond-approved-allocation-says-zahid",
        "published": "2026-09-07T03:43:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zahid denies ministry spent beyond approved allocation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/zahid-denies-ministry-spent-beyond-approved-allocation",
        "published": "2026-09-07T05:08:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}