PROCUREMENT and governance concerns raised in the Auditor-General's Report prompted the Finance Ministry to suspend approvals for new rural road projects under a pre-qualified tender method, PKR said amid a political dispute over development funding in Sabah and Sarawak.
PKR deputy secretary-general Saifuddin Shafi Muhammad said the suspension of new Letters of Acceptance (SST) and approvals for the Selected Pre-Qualified Open Tender (TTPKT) method should not be portrayed as a blanket cancellation of rural infrastructure projects.
He challenged Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki to produce documentary evidence and a list of projects allegedly ordered to be cancelled.
"Do not conflate the deferral of the SST for rural road projects with allegations of a wholesale cancellation of road, water supply and electricity projects. If there is indeed an instruction for cancellation, produce the relevant documents and the list of the projects in question," he said in a statement on Thursday.
He was responding to Asyraf Wajdi's demand for the Finance Ministry to withdraw its directive, which he said involved cancelling rural development projects in Sabah and Sarawak.
Saifuddin Shafi acknowledged that the procurement issues must be resolved quickly, saying the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) should provide certainty over the implementation of affected projects.
"The people want these projects to be completed," he said.
He also rejected suggestions that Sarawak had been sidelined in development spending, citing an increase in its Budget 2026 development allocation to RM6 billion from RM2.9 billion in 2022.
On the Melaka state election, he backed calls for responsible campaigning but cautioned parties against spreading misleading information, urging them to focus on facts, public service records and policies.
The Election Commission has fixed Nov 14 for polling, with nomination scheduled for Oct 31 and early voting on Nov 10. - October 30, 2026
