KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — The federal government spent RM1,073,580 in renovations and furniture replacements for offices belonging to ministers and deputy ministers between 2020 and 2021, a parliamentary written reply revealed today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this in reply to Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, who asked the former to state in detail the expenditure.
“The offices belonging to ministers and deputy ministers underwent renovation works throughout 2020 and 2021 including the replacement of old furniture in accordance with regulations and qualifications based on the Guidelines and Regulations for Building Planning by the Standard and Cost Committee, Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department,” he said.
According to the parliamentary reply, two Cabinet ministers and two deputy ministers from two different portfolios under the Prime Minister’s Department were involved in said renovation works.
They are the Parliament and Law portfolio, and the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs portfolio.
In the renovation costs breakdown provided, the Parliament and Law portfolio, the renovation cost for the minister’s office came up to RM380,000 with an additional furniture cost of RM90,000 for a total of RM470,000; while the deputy minister’s office came up to RM192,870 with an additional furniture cost of RM10,000 for a total of RM202,870.
As for the Sabah and Sarawak Affairs portfolio, spending both the offices belonging to the minister and deputy minister came up to RM145,977 with an additional furniture cost of RM254,733 for a total of RM400,710.
However, no explicit breakdown of the overall renovation costs or furniture purchases were provided.
Under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration which took over last year, the former portfolio was held by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan from PAS, while the latter was Datuk Seri Maximus Johnity Ongkili from PBS.
Maximus still holds the same portfolio in Ismail Sabri’s Cabinet, but Takiyuddin was replaced by Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
