State Local Government, Science and Technology Committee chairman Tan Hong Pin said the practice of contractors and suppliers appointed by the district offices to “divert” 30% of the allocation given by the state government was not an honourable habit and would hamper the spirit of the New Malaysia.

He said the state government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) would never compromise and was committed to taking strict legal action.

“The strong mandate given by the people to the PH government arises from the destruction of integrity during the previous government’s administration.

“This is in line with a statement by Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang that the act of diverting allocations in terms of a commission is strictly prohibited,” Tan said in a statement.

He also urged the people in the state to report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the Johor Menteri Besar’s Office suspicious activities involving the allocation of funds.