Anwar: All government contracts to be fully transparent from 2027

 

Anwar Ibrahim says the public will be able to scrutinise contractors, project costs and progress under the government’s planned procurement transparency measures. NSTP/FILE PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: All government contracts will be made fully transparent from next year, with the public able to access details of successful contractors, contract values and project progress, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar said the measure would cover all public projects and allow communities to assess whether developments in their areas were being carried out by responsible contractors.

"I said from next year, every single contract, building schools or hospitals or universities or roads, must be fully transparent.

"Who wins the contract, what's the amount, which company gets the contract, what's the cost, what's the progress, and why this company won against other competitors.

"That is going to be very transparent, everybody can read and see," he said in his speech at iFUTURE 2026 at Dewan Merdeka, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, today.

Also present was Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

When tabling the 2027 Budget on Friday, Anwar said the government would disclose project details, including contractors' names and contract values, once the Government Procurement Act comes into force in 2027.

Citing a new secondary school in Tumpat as an example, he said residents should have access to full details of projects being built in their areas.

"We want to make sure that people of Tumpat would know precisely what's the cost of that school, what's the cost of the land, who the contractor is, what's the progress of the project.

"Let the people of Tumpat then see for themselves if the school is being built by responsible contractors or not. This is going to be the new Malaysia I'm talking about," he said.

Anwar said the government had been able to increase spending on education, healthcare, gig workers and young graduates by addressing leakages.

"Because we start with governance, with good governance. Stop these leakages, and ensure that contracts are done transparently," he said.

He added that the government had raised the minimum wage three times in the nearly four years since he became prime minister.

Anwar also said billions of ringgit lost in past scandals should instead have been channelled into education.

"Billions lost. And that money was supposed to be spent on the students, on our schools, on our universities, not to be stolen by those corrupt people," he said.

He also criticised those who, he said, invoked race and religion to deflect attention from wrongdoing.

"You choose to squander billions on your family account, and when this is exposed, you talk about Malay survival and Islam," he said. - NST