The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) said CDFs have become increasingly associated with politicisation and opaque spending.

It said media reports have repeatedly suggested that such allocations may be influenced by political leverage rather than constituency needs, while the public has minimal visibility over how these funds are used.

IDEAS CEO Aira Azhari said CDFs are public funds meant to serve communities and not political interests.

“The politicisation of CDF disbursement has been a persistent problem in Malaysia for years.

“Furthermore, the public has the right to know where this money goes, how it is spent, and whether it delivers real benefits,” she said in a statement, adding that without transparency, “accountability simply does not exist”.

Aira was commenting on a report the think tank released today, titled “Reporting and Disclosure Practices of Subnational CDFs in Malaysia”.

According to the report, Selangor stood out as the only state with publicly available CDF-related information, primarily through disclosures by district and land offices, between 2008 and 2010.

Disclosures were mandatory during the period, but IDEAS found that three districts – Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor and Kuala Langat – had voluntarily disclosed CDF information in 2024.

It also found that overall, nationwide voluntary disclosure “remains the exception rather than the norm”.

Between 2012 and 2024, only 34 out of 222 MPs published any form of constituency report cards, with just 12 MPs doing so in 2023–2024.

At the state-level, only 17 assemblymen reported CDF spending between 2008 and 2024.