ECONOMY Minister Datuk Seri Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir has called for a fundamental shift in the management of government projects, warning that complacency and a lack of accountability continue to result in costly failures that burden taxpayers.
He said the recurring weaknesses were particularly troubling given that Malaysia has been independent for almost seven decades and has experienced successive changes in government, yet many publicly funded projects continue to suffer from the same shortcomings.
Akmal said his recent criticism of the water treatment plant (LRA) project in Kedah was not intended to assign blame but to ensure persistent weaknesses in the delivery and oversight of government-funded projects were addressed.
“I know some people are unhappy with me for sharing what happened with the LRA project in Kedah. Some have even called me outspoken because I highlighted weaknesses in the management of projects funded by taxpayers’ money for the benefit of the people.
“Others say this is not my job, that my role as a minister is only to look after policy. But I make no apology for saying that we can no longer continue with business as usual,” he said in a post on X.
Akmal said the issue extended beyond policy, noting that while government policies would continue to evolve in response to changing national needs, attitudes and institutional mindsets also had to change.
He said he had closely monitored the Kedah water treatment plant project from the time it was overseen by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) until responsibility for its coordination was transferred to the Economy Ministry.
According to Akmal, he repeatedly raised concerns over the project's implementation but saw little evidence of corrective action, with the very issues he had cautioned against eventually coming to pass.
“I have done all I could, but my warnings went unheeded until it was too late,” he said. - August 6, 2026
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