Zahid says RM6.1b rural road spending within revised allocation, denies RM2.1b overspending

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Expenditure under the Rural Roads Programme (JALB) for the 2023–2025 period totalled RM6.108 billion, within the revised allocation of RM6.143 billion, leaving a balance of about RM34.3 million, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said allegations that the ministry had overspent by RM2.1 billion arose from comparisons between actual expenditure and the original allocation, without taking into account subsequent approved adjustments.

He said the original allocation for JALB during the period was about RM3.982 billion before it was revised to RM6.143 billion.

“We must be clear about what these figures represent. A RM2.1 billion variance from the original allocation is not, in itself, evidence of missing funds, leakages or misappropriation. Such adjustments to allocations also occur in other ministries,” he said.

He was winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2027 (Budget 2027) at the policy stage for the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ahmad Zahid said that as of Sept 30, the JALB comprised 415 projects at various stages of implementation, with a total project cost of about RM34.23 billion.

He clarified that the figure represented the total cost of projects implemented over several years, rather than an amount payable in a single year, as payments were made in stages based on work progress and verified claims.

“For 2026, JALB expenditure as of Sept 30 amounted to about RM2.48 billion, against an amended allocation of RM3.02 billion, representing about 82.1 per cent,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid said rural road projects typically took several years to complete, making it important to distinguish the total project cost from the funding required in any given year.

He explained that when work progressed faster than expected or verified claims from previous projects required settlement, annual allocations had to be adjusted to meet payment obligations.

However, he stressed that the need for additional funding did not give the ministry the authority to increase allocations arbitrarily or make payments outside established procedures.

“Any adjustment must go through the ‘Notice of Change’ (NOC) mechanism and involve the reallocation of funds, depending on the nature of the change and the required level of approval,” he said.

He said the process involved the ministry’s Controlling Officer, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General’s Department of Malaysia, each acting within its respective jurisdiction.

All approvals and adjustments were recorded in government systems, including MyProjek and iGFMAS, he added.

Payments, he said, were processed only after funds had been released and made available, based on claims and verification of work by implementing agencies such as the Public Works Department (JKR) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS).

“While we may hold differing political views, we must never mislead the public regarding government procurement procedures, nor should we lose sight of the original objective of the JALB programme, which is to provide roads for rural communities.

“I hope today’s clarification allows for a comprehensive assessment of the JALB programme. The original allocation, revised allocation, actual expenditure and contractual commitments must be considered collectively to ensure that any conclusions drawn are based on facts rather than slander,” he said. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10月26日讯——副首相拿督斯里阿末扎希哈米迪博士表示，2023-2025年期间的乡村道路计划（JALB）支出总额为61.08亿令吉，在修订后的61.43亿令吉拨款范围内，剩余约3430万令吉。

兼任乡村及区域发展部长的艾哈迈德·扎希德表示，有关该部超支21亿令吉的指控源于实际支出与原始拨款的比较，而没有考虑到后续批准的调整。

他表示，该时期JALB的最初拨款约为39.82亿令吉，后来修订为61.43亿令吉。

“我们必须明确这些数字的含义。与最初拨款额相比，21亿令吉的差额本身并不能证明存在资金缺失、漏洞或挪用。其他部门也会出现类似的拨款调整，”他说道。

今天，他在国会下议院代表乡村及区域发展部就 2027 年供应法案（2027 年预算案）的政策阶段进行了总结性辩论。

艾哈迈德·扎希德表示，截至9月30日，JALB共有415个项目处于不同的实施阶段，项目总成本约为342.3亿令吉。

他澄清说，该数字代表的是多年实施的项目的总成本，而不是一年内应支付的金额，因为款项是根据工作进度和核实的索赔分阶段支付的。

“截至9月30日，2026年JALB的支出约为24.8亿令吉，而修订后的拨款为30.2亿令吉，约占82.1%。”他说道。

艾哈迈德·扎希德表示，农村道路项目通常需要数年才能完成，因此区分项目总成本和任何特定年份所需的资金非常重要。

他解释说，当工作进展比预期更快，或者之前项目的核实索赔需要结算时，年度拨款必须进行调整以履行支付义务。

然而，他强调，需要额外资金并不意味着该部有权随意增加拨款或在既定程序之外进行支付。

他说：“任何调整都必须通过‘变更通知’（NOC）机制，并涉及资金的重新分配，具体取决于变更的性质和所需的批准级别。”

他表示，这一过程涉及该部委的主管官员、经济部、财政部和马来西亚会计总署，每个部门都在各自的管辖范围内行事。

他还补充说，所有审批和调整都记录在政府系统中，包括 MyProjek 和 iGFMAS。

他说，只有在资金发放并可供使用后，才会根据公共工程部 (JKR) 和灌溉排水部 (JPS) 等执行机构的索赔和工作核实情况进行付款。

“尽管我们可能持有不同的政治观点，但我们绝不能在政府采购程序方面误导公众，也不应该忘记JALB计划的初衷，即为农村社区提供道路。

“我希望今天的澄清能够让大家对联合援助贷款计划（JALB）进行全面评估。必须综合考虑最初的拨款、修订后的拨款、实际支出和合同承诺，以确保得出的任何结论都基于事实而非诽谤。”他说道。——马新社

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