KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — A total of 3,942 projects, or 45.9 per cent of the 8,593 development projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), are in progress as of August 26 this year, said the Auditor-General.

However, 169 of these ongoing projects are experiencing delays or difficulties, according to the Auditor-General’s statement regarding the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) 3/2024 on the Federal Government’s Financial Statements for 2023, presented in Parliament today.

Meanwhile, 1,434 projects are in the post-implementation stage; 3,085 projects are in the pre-implementation stage, and 132 projects are categorised as cancelled or under review, according to the report.

Therefore, the Auditor-General recommends more rigorous and continuous monitoring, along with immediate intervention measures to ensure that the development projects under 12MP can be completed by the end of 2025.

"The overall performance of 12MP projects can only be assessed at the end of 2025. In this regard, project monitoring should be enhanced to achieve the set objectives,” the report added.

Furthermore, under the Mid-Term Review of 12MP (12MP MTR), presented in Parliament on Sept 11, 2023, the government emphasised efforts to improve the efficiency of implementation and monitoring, particularly in executing strategies and initiatives of the 12MP MTR.

"The expenditure performance for 12MP projects from 2021 to 2023 amounts to RM231.920 billion, exceeding the approved allocation of RM222.756 billion for the same period.

"This figure has reached 55.9 per cent of the total allocation ceiling of RM415 billion for the implementation of 12MP projects,” it said.

Additionally, the Auditor-General has submitted 260 recommendations for consideration by ministries/departments/agencies and state government companies.

A total of 13 state government financial statements for the year ending Dec 31, 2023, were submitted between January and June 2024. — Bernama