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PM Anwar says Budget 2023 to focus on food security, environment

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Malaysia’s food security and the environment will be the focus of the Budget that will be retabled next month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, gave an assurance that he and other officials from the Finance Ministry have given great consideration to concerns and feedback raised by various interest groups.

“Environment, including food security, food imports are too high, so these are the things we will focus on in the Budget. And I together with the team in MOF have studied the memorandum from ACCCIM,” he said, referring to the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia that was hosting the Chinese New Year open house he was attending today.

Anwar said current world affairs such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic downturn in Europe and the Ukraine-Russia war calls for bolder policies, in a nod to ACCCIM president Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan’s earlier speech on what Malaysia needs to develop further and faster.

“That's why I stress the role for big companies, for small and medium enterprises, we should give focus, provide space so that they can enhance technology, digitalisation in order to be able to compete and provide many jobs,” he said.

In the same event, ACCIM president Low said Malaysia could do with “less politicking” and come up with more inclusive policies that will catapult the nation’s economy further in the Year of The Rabbit.

Low said ACCCIM believes the most essential pre-conditions to ensure continued economic prosperity in a shared future would be maintaining a stable political environment that is corruption-free and with better governance, highly-efficient public delivery services and a conducive economic ecosystem.

Low also expressed hope that Malaysia would continue to remain peaceful and harmonious under the unity government, noting that racial harmony and political stability is the foundation for success, peace, economic prosperity and also shared wealth regardless of race.