PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed government agencies to accelerate the implementation of Budget 2027 initiatives, stressing that the effectiveness of the national budget depends on how quickly and efficiently its measures reach the public.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the government had to tackle bureaucratic delays, corruption and leakages to ensure approved programmes delivered their intended benefits.
“A budget can be drawn up, but the challenge lies in its implementation,” he said at the Finance Ministry’s monthly assembly in Putrajaya today.
Among the measures being rolled out are RM1,000 in assistance for each taxi driver, funded by proceeds from the introduction of special vehicle registration numbers, and the opening of registrations for homes at Bandar MADANI in Bukit Jalil.
The government is also accelerating the development of 10,000 student hostel units at Universiti Malaya to address accommodation shortages, with Anwar asking Kuala Lumpur City Hall to expedite the necessary approvals.
He said the Chief Secretary to the Government would coordinate monitoring with ministry secretaries-general and department heads to ensure implementation moved forward.
Anwar also reprimanded civil servants for delays in routine administrative work, saying improvements in wages and economic conditions must be matched by better public service delivery.
“If wages have gone up, fuel prices have come down and the economy is performing as described, yet work remains sluggish and slow — a letter that can be answered in one day takes two weeks — that is a real problem,” he said.
On the broader economic outlook, Anwar said Malaysia remained able to pursue a people-focused Budget 2027 despite global uncertainty and rising oil prices, while continuing to expand the economy and reduce the fiscal deficit.
He said the oil price assumption of US$70 per barrel used in the previous year’s projections had been overtaken by prices reaching as high as US$120, adding to cost pressures faced by countries worldwide.
Anwar said economic growth and investment must also improve living standards, particularly for paddy farmers, fishermen and low-income workers facing low wages, high rents and rising prices of essential goods.
He also stressed that development spending must be distributed more equitably between states, including those with smaller revenue bases that require greater support for poverty alleviation, flood mitigation and basic infrastructure.
“Economic growth must not be directed solely towards the interests of already wealthy regions or states,” he said. - October 19, 2026