KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 26) passed the Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill 2026 for RM7.94bil in additional service expenditure from the Consolidated Fund.
The Bill, tabled by Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan, was approved by a majority voice vote after a debate by government and opposition Members of Parliament.
The Supplementary Supply (2025) Bill 2026 involves the withdrawal of a sum not exceeding RM7.94bil from the Consolidated Fund for additional service expenditure for 2025.
The additional expenditure includes allocations for the Treasury of RM1.39bil; statutory funds (RM5.29bil); the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (RM993.94bil), and the Higher Education Ministry (RM257.59bil).
Earlier, winding up the debate, Amir Hamzah said the total supplementary supply for 2025 was significantly and comparatively lower - RM70bil in 2022, RM30bil in 2023, and RM20bil in 2024.
"The government will continue to implement prudent and disciplined fiscal management," he said.
Meanwhile, during the committee-stage winding-up for the Works Ministry, its minister, Alexander Nanta Linggi, said the government had approved a RM135mil government support loan (GSL) to the concessionaire of the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) to ensure the project is completed.
He said the decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on Oct 27, 2023, after taking into account the project's physical progress, which had exceeded 90%, and the financial constraints faced by the concessionaire due to rising construction costs and prolonged implementation issues.
"The GSL assistance will be used to cover part of the construction costs to complete the highway. However, the overall increase in project costs will not involve any toll rate hike or extension of the concession period as stipulated in the original agreement," he said during the session.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting resumes on Monday. - Bernama
