PM's Dept: Development expenditure report does not reflect true picture

Editor's Note: The Prime Minister's Department notified Malaysiakini that the articles on the development expenditure spending titled - 'MEA has highest balance of unused development funds, data shows' and 'MEA says RM2.88b of budget spent, disputes Nov data that only RM1.4b spent' contained classified information and requested that the news portal remove them. After considering the request and explanation, Malaysiakini has removed the articles. This is regretted.

The Prime Minister's Department said a Malaysiakini report regarding development expenditure spending was "inaccurate and did not reflect the true picture."

"As was reported by the Economic Affairs Ministry, the performance of development expenditure has increased significantly after the payment process was completed as of this publication.

"It is stressed that this (government) report is also an official government document that cannot be distributed to anyone whether an individual or an organisation without permission," said the department in a statement this evening.

Malaysiakini had earlier cited data from early November from the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department regarding the spending of development expenditure by the various ministries.

The Economic Affairs Ministry was noted as having the biggest amount unspent.

However, the ministry, in a statement, said that as of today, it had spent 99.6 percent of its development expenditure.

Met in Kuala Lumpur later, Azmin explained that the expenditure was spent based on work progress.

"Normally, we make payments based on the progress of that particular work, now we already spent more than 99.6 percent by year end, so they already clarified the matter," he said.

He said the difference is because the payments would be made towards the end of the year after certain stages of a particular project are completed.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in a tweet said his ministry had also spent 99.4 percent of the development expenditure by Dec 14. - Mkini