KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — The Prime Minister’s Department has slashed its RM12.3 billion development expenditure by 60 per cent, down to RM4.9 billion after rationalisation for departments and agencies under its purview.
Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong told the Dewan Rakyat in a written reply that the savings stemmed from the abolishment of the National Professors Council and the removal of special government advisors and envoys.
However, the department’s operating expenditure was only cut down by 2 per cent — or RM100 million of the total RM5.2 billion budget.
Liew was answering a question posed by Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, who wanted to know how the new Prime Minister’s Department under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had planned to introduce cost-saving measures.
Liew also acknowledged that the full reduction of the Prime Minister’s Department budget will only be finalised once the restructuring process is completed.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak gained notoriety for allocating huge amounts of money for his Prime Minister’s Department. Last year, he allocated RM18.1 billion for his department which was 6.1 per cent of the total national budget.
