NOH Omar today lashed out at his critics, who had slammed the urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister for scrapping development projects by local councils in constituencies held by the opposition.

He said opposition-controlled constituencies were not being denied federal funds for small-scale infrastructure projects, also known as PB.1.

“They don’t understand, even though I have already explained. The ministry channels allocations to the PBT (pihak berkuasa tempatan or local councils), not directly to the constituencies.

“If the councils get the funds, it means people living in areas under the jurisdiction will benefit. One council’s area of jurisdiction may cover several parliamentary constituencies, even opposition-held ones.

“That means they are covered,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Noh came under fire this week following a leaked letter from the local government department cancelling all BP.1 local council projects approved in non-Barisan Nasional constituencies this year under his direction.

The letter dated March 17 was issued and signed by the director-general Abu Bakar Johar.

BP.1 projects include road repairs, building repairs, drains, public toilets, council-run business premises and multi-purpose halls.

Noh acknowledged the letter, but insisted that there was no discrimination, as alleged by his critics who included Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming and Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim from DAP, and PAS’s Bukit Gantang MP Idris Ahmad.

He said the scrapping of the projects involving 148 local councils nationwide had no political motive but was to review the allocations for areas, namely those controlled by opposition parties.

“Any application for funds for BP.1 projects by the local councils must be referred to the ministry to check if they are significant to the people. Some we can approve, while some we have to reject according to our budget.

“That is why I instructed for the approvals to be reviewed to make sure they are urgent, and to see whether the local MPs were aware of them and had made applications.

“I don’t think some of the MPs know what is going on in their own constituencies,” he said.

Singling out Taiping, following Nga’s criticism and threat to send a letter of demand to get his ministry to revoke the cancellation, Noh said almost RM2 million was given to the Taiping Municipal Council, which covered Taiping and Bukit Gantang.

He said RM900,000 was to fix the roof of a market, RM750,000 for building a multipurpose hall each in Padang Gajah and Sungai Kerang, and RM300,000 for the upgrading of a public field in Kamunting.

“That is RM1.95 million for people who live in areas administered by the Taiping Municipal Council. It covers opposition-held areas, too.”

Noh said he recently approved RM700,000 for a small project in Ipoh Timur when a local leader applied to him directly.

For Pakatan Harapan-ruled Penang, where Sim was from, Noh said his ministry had given allocations to the Penang Island City Council and Seberang Prai Municipal Council.

“It will be good for Nga and Sim to go check with their local councils to see if the ministry has given them funds.

“MPs don’t always know when there are federal funds going to their councils and then into their constituencies.

“The ministry is not keeping the money. It is just not going directly into your parliamentary seat. It is going to the local councils.”

Noh said in Selangor, funds were given to the Sepang Municipal Council and Petaling Jaya City Council for projects worth more than RM1 million each.

He said there were times when BN wanted to build projects in Selangor, but were denied permission from local councils.

“We wanted to build a hall in Kapar but the local council said ‘no’. Sometimes we have to go where it is simple to do projects.”

On the opposition now using this issue to criticise him and the BN administration, to the extent of telling the people to vote BN out in the next general election, Noh said: “It’s okay. Biasa lah (That is normal). Let them hentam (bash). I have already explained.

“They are looking for cheap publicity. We are all MPs. They can come and ask me in Parliament on this issue.” – April 21, 2017.