SHAH ALAM: The RM1bil from the state coffers which an assemblyman said has gone missing has been spent on infrastructure for the state, says the Selangor Mentri Besar.
“The RM1bil from the government reserves was used for the construction of important infrastructure in the state and not lost," Amirudin Shari told a press conference during an event at the state secretariat Thursday (Nov 5).
Kota Anggerik assemblyman Mohd Najwan Halimi had, when debating the state budget on Tuesday (Nov 3), asked for an explanation over the decreased amount in the state coffers in recent years.
“We can surely still remember that Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s administration left behind more than RM3.3bil in the state reserves," he said.
He said the reserves had decreased to RM2.4bil and the amount in the reserves had shrunk to about RM1.8bil.
“I'm certain the time has come for the state government to explain how more than RM1bil has decreased before Sungai Tua (Amirudin) took over as mentri besar," Najwan added.
Amirudin explained the big projects paid for with the RM1bil included the Labohan Dagang Water Treatment Plant Project, which cost RM700mil, the Semenyih 2 Water Treatment Plant and Klang’s third bridge, the Raja Muda Nala Bridge.
“When Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was the mentri besar, the state reserves were indeed at RM3.3bil and now its RM2.1bil, but the money did not disappear, but spent to implement development projects to benefit the people, ’’ said Amirudin.
