Johan Ariffin Samad said Tengku Zafrul, as the “finance minister for the nation”, should focus instead on poorer states like Sabah.

Citing the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) report, he said Sabah was home to eight of the 10 poorest districts and in greater need of adoption than Kuala Selangor. The districts are Pitas, Kudat, Kota Belud, Beluran, Tongod, Nabawan, Telupid and Kota Marudu.

“The idea of adopting a developed area in Selangor seems ‘ludicrous’,” Johan, the former head of the Institute for Development Studies (IDS), said.

He pointed out that this was the first time a federal minister had proposed to adopt a particular area under his portfolio.

“Why the need to pump in more resources in Selangor which is already rich? It seems that he has lost his sense of priority.

“The finance minister should use the federal resources to help the people in the poorest districts in Malaysia and not his favourite area,” Johan, who is also a G25 member, told FMT.

He said Sabah had to deal with many infrastructure issues which contributed to the high poverty levels, and that should be the finance ministry’s focus.

The federal ministers from Sabah should also point this out in the Cabinet meetings and demand more development aid to the poorest districts in the state.

“They should not keep quiet,” he said.

On Monday, Tengku Zafrul – who is rumoured to be eyeing a seat in GE15, with speculation that he will contest the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat – said he wanted the finance ministry to adopt the district to help it develop.

This led to DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook criticising him, saying it was unheard of for a ministry to take such an approach.

However, two days later, Tengku Zafrul brushed aside talk of his political ambition, telling reporters at a Hari Raya event he was “not at this point in time” thinking of contesting.