Expenditure Warrant Issued, PM Anwar Orders Fast-tracking Of Small Projects

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed all ministries to ensure small-scale projects are implemented immediately and identified as early as next month.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the projects include rural roads, construction of quarters and repairs to dilapidated clinics.

He said direct contractor appointments will be allowed for projects worth up to RM200,000, while quotations may be used for projects valued at up to RM1 million.

To speed up implementation, Anwar said the government had issued the general expenditure warrant for this year earlier than usual, in December 2025, compared with the previous practice of March or April.

“The government has allocated RM2.4 billion for small projects involving G1 to G4 contractors, most of whom are Bumiputera contractors...Implementation must begin immediately at the state and district levels, and all processes must be expedited,” he said in his 2026 New Year Message at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly here today.

Present were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Public Service director-general (KPPA) Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

At the same time, Anwar said repairs to dilapidated schools would also be allowed and opened to contractor pre-qualification.

He stressed that while major projects such as flood mitigation works, public housing, the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and the Pan Borneo Highway were progressing according to schedule, greater urgency was needed for small projects.

“I am not overly concerned about large projects as they are moving according to requirements, but I am emphasising small projects that must be carried out faster,” he said, citing the collapse of a government building in Kuala Krai, which required swift cooperation between the state government and federal authorities.

Anwar also urged civil servants to resolve public complaints, including minor issues, without waiting for them to go viral on social media.

“How can we talk about twin towers, long bridges and LRT projects when a broken bridge preventing children from going to school cannot be fixed?” he said.

Anwar said that the Economy Ministry, Finance Ministry and Works Ministry must ensure small-scale issues are addressed promptly, stressing that three years is sufficient to see more effective implementation.

-- BERNAMA