KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has been accused of putting the “cart before the horse” with its push for feedback on its 2027 budget.
Stakeholders claim it is an exercise in futility as they are still being kept in the dark over City Hall’s 2026 spending.
Despite launching an online public survey on Feb 16 calling for suggestions for Budget 2027, DBKL has yet to disclose the 2026 budget details.
Stakeholders argue that without transparency on current funds, the 2027 consultation is a meaningless “box-ticking” formality.
DBKL had invited stakeholders from each parliamentary constituency to give suggestions, through the Federal Territories Residents’ Representative Council (MPPWP) last year.
Safe Kuala Lumpur (SKL) chairman Datuk M. Ali called the move “ridiculous”, underscoring the residents’ inability to provide informed input without a financial baseline.
“How can you ask for 2027 suggestions when we don’t know what was spent in 2026? It’s a guessing game, not a meaningful engagement.
“Disclose the current budget, show how feedback was used, and only then seek our input,” said Ali.
DBKL usually presents its annual budget towards the end of the year, offering a clear breakdown of allocations and priorities.
However, last year marked a departure from that long-standing practice, with the budget not being tabled for the first time.
The deviation has been attributed to the transition in leadership, involving both the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) and the Kuala Lumpur mayor, which complicated the process.
Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Development (KLRA+SD) honorary secretary Joshua Low said past engagements had yielded zero accountability.
Despite proposing pocket parks at a town hall last June, his group received no updates.
“We don’t know whether our suggestion was considered, incorporated, deferred or rejected in the final 2026 budget.
“Without follow-up, residents can’t see if their participation had any meaningful impact,” Low said.
StarMetro learnt that DBKL held a meeting last month with Kuala Lumpur MPs to discuss the 2026 supplementary budget.
A supplementary budget is an additional allocation sought after the main budget, typically to cover shortfalls, new spending needs or adjustments to earlier projections.
Lawmakers complained that even behind closed doors, DBKL provided vague data.
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai asked for the budget to be made public.
Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan said revenue sources were omitted despite a deficit budget.
Bukit Bintang MPPWP Sub-Zone 4 chairman Cynthia Hor, who had appeared on behalf of Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, said DBKL could not answer basic questions on return on investment (ROI) for projects.
“We were only briefed on projects and expenses,” Hor said.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said the public had the right to know how their money was being spent.
“These are taxpayers’ funds. The information should be made available,” she said.
DBKL’s survey remains open until end of the month.
