Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) has urged the federal government to channel funds for the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) directly to the various state governments.
Samsuri suggested that the government distribute the allocation to state governments via special grants for national or local projects that need to be prioritised.
The PAS vice-president told the Dewan Rakyat that such a method would reduce the risk of leakages, bureaucracy as well as delays in approval from federal agencies.
“The 13MP should be seen as an opportunity to enhance the powers of the various states or to decentralise federal powers to a certain extent.
“This is important so that the states can move faster without being influenced by partisan political sentiments,” he said during the 13MP debate, adding that this could be realised through the enactment of new laws.
Samsuri said the division of powers between the state and federal governments under the Federal Constitution, which was drafted almost 70 years ago, might no longer be suitable for current needs.
He also urged Putrajaya to resume paying petroleum royalties to states twice a year, and to remove unnecessary controls on the spending of such revenue.
On Aug 5, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a written reply that RM4 billion in “goodwill payments” had been distributed to Terengganu and RM967 million to Kelantan between 2023 and 2025.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the funds were meant for projects and programmes to benefit the people in both states.
