KUALA LUMPUR: Tenggara MP Manndzri Nasib has rejected allegations that RM2.1 billion was siphoned off from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, saying the issue concerns financial management and governance.
The controversy centres on a reported RM2.1 billion gap between the original allocations and actual expenditure for rural road projects under the ministry from 2023 to 2025. The ministry has said approved budget adjustments must be taken into account.
Manndzri called on the Treasury secretary-general and the ministry's secretary-general to issue a joint statement clarifying the matter, warning against politicising what he described as a financial governance issue.
"There is no story of RM2.1 billion being siphoned off. What happened concerns financial management and governance," he said during a debate in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said government projects could face implementation challenges requiring changes to their original scope or budget, even after allocations had been approved.
Citing a hypothetical school project costing RM120 million, Manndzri said a notice of change could be required during its two- to three-year implementation period, resulting in adjustments to the approved budget.
Such changes, including higher costs, revised project scopes or increased funding ceilings, would have to go through the relevant approval process, including consultation with the Economy Ministry and the Finance Ministry, he said.
"There is no issue of missing money. Bringing this matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is ridiculous," he said.
Manndzri also supported calls for the Finance Ministry to compile and distribute to all MPs a list of projects since 2022, detailing their original costs and any subsequent increases.
His remarks follow the MACC's recent statement that it was prepared to investigate allegations of RM2.1 billion in excess spending by the ministry if it received a formal complaint.
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