KOTA KINABALU: The delay in project approvals is due to limited manpower within the Economy Ministry at the federal level.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said that the ministry's development budget section, which handles project applications from across the country, consisted of only five people.
"This section manages all the applications for small projects nationwide. However, we are constrained by federal government policy to optimise available resources," he told reporters after a stakeholders' engagement session for the 13th Malaysia Plan today.
Acknowledging that growing public expectations from civil servants are making it increasingly challenging to meet demands, Rafizi said that while adding more personnel would increase service capacity, it was not a sustainable solution due to payroll constraints.
Earlier, during a dialogue session, Ranau district officer Tinus Manggam said that despite submitting applications early, his district's allocation was only approved in November.
He also pointed out the difficulties in implementing projects during the monsoon season, which often forces authorities to return unspent allocations by year-end.
Rafizi assured that the ministry was working on digitalising the application process, using technologies such as Google Maps and Google Earth, to streamline approvals.
He said it was important to vet thoroughly to ensure that approvals would benefit the broader public rather than individuals.
"We need to verify that requests are legitimate, as there may be cases where people request projects like building a road in front of their house. We must ensure these projects are truly for public use," he said.