The allocation for discretionary items in the Prime Minister’s Department - with scant details that could potentially be abused for political purposes - has grown by a staggering 43 times since Najib Abdul Razak took over as premier.

NONE The DAP's Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong said the money, which he described as "near slush funds", has grown from RM158,090,000 in 2010 to RM6,855,107,300 in the 2014 budget.

"Discretionary funding items with scant details or 'near slush funds' now make up 15 percent of the entire development budget for 2014 of RM46 billion,” Liew said in a statement today.

"It was only 0.3 percent in the 2010 development budget of RM53 billion."

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The ‘near slush funds’ grew to RM2,819,631,900 in 2011, and to RM4,282,500,000 in 2012 and RM5,885,165,800 in 2013, he said.   

"The government has been 'addicted' to prime ministerial discretionary 'near slush funds' since 2011,” he added.

Najib who came to power in 2009 tabled his first budget for 2010.

Last Wednesday, Liew had noted that there were five categories of spending in the 2014 budget which provided few details of the purpose - namely restructuring society, development programmes, special projects, people-friendly projects and facilitation fund.