Over 1,300 small projects have been approved under the new Inisiatif Kemudahan Rakyat (IKR), where the public can apply directly for allocations from the Economy Ministry.

The initiative was first announced on June 1 by its minister Rafizi Ramli, who said it was meant to speed up the process of dealing with issues such as fixing clogged drains or potholes on the roads.

As of Aug 25, a total of 1,385 small projects...