Anwar says funds for flood mitigation approved but projects not executed because of GE15

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 11— Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that the RM15 billion fund that was approved for flood mitigation projects under the previous government did not result in the execution of the said projects, owing to the 15th general election (GE15).

In his speech at a religious programme with Islamic leaders and preachers at his official residence here, Anwar who is also the Finance Minister explained the controversy surrounding the said issue.

This comes after Anwar ordered the Finance Ministry (MOF) to suspend the channelling of RM7 billion funds out of the RM15 billion flood mitigation projects announced by the previous Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration.

"That is why if we want to spend, we have to study. This is a matter of governance.

"So, when I saw that it was approved spontaneously, these flood mitigation projects and companies are questionable, with several unanswered questions, I asked for it to be postponed, to be reviewed again. Tomorrow, God willing, I will be at the finance ministry and I will study it. This is true. This is not slander. It was indeed approved, but not executed, because of the election.

"So on the first day of me being at the finance ministry, the officer said: Yes, it has been approved but not yet executed. This is just an example. So there is no need to make it a political matter," he added.

He said that it was important to review such matters as it affects the poor, with a majority being poor Malays.

Last week, Anwar said that MOF officials had briefed him that some RM7 billion out of the RM15 billion allocated had been approved and awarded without undergoing tender.

The federal government’s flood mitigation project 2030 had been announced by the previous finance minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz in October during the tabling of Budget 2023 as part of Malaysia’s long-term strategy to deal with climate change.

Anwar said the possible breaches were regrettable but expressed his gratitude to senior MOF officials for raising the matter to his attention.

"They can claim the allocations are ‘clean’, but they are most definitely not when we speak about approvals which goes against conventional rules,” he said, likely referring to his critics, though he did not name anyone.