Putrajaya: The government will increase the maintenance allocation for all types of schools by 50 percent, from RM1 billion to RM1.5 billion in 2027, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He stated that the additional allocation will encompass all priority school streams, including national schools, Chinese and Tamil national-type schools, religious schools, tahfiz institutions, pondok schools, and special education.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar made the announcement during the National Day Prime Address at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). He assured that everyone will receive additional allocations. Anwar also mentioned that the Ministry of Education (MOE) will start visiting every district next month to examine applications for school infrastructure repairs, ensuring needs are identified early and not delayed.
Meanwhile, Anwar, who also serves as the Minister of Finance, announced the opening of the AI for the Rakyat Programme starting tomorrow to 100,000 Malaysian youths aged 18 to 30. Upon completing the designated modules, participants will receive a free three-month subscription to leading artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The applications include local AI chat knowledge verified by the US-based AI Gemini Enterprise, as well as Wonder Clip and Mul Run from China.
For the public health sector, the Prime Minister stated that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will allocate RM1 billion to enhance digital efficiency. This includes implementing an electronic medical records system and improving Internet connectivity in 150 hospitals and over 2,000 public health clinics, which aims to expedite the treatment process and reduce patient waiting times.
Anwar announced that the government will raise the e-Invoice implementation exemption threshold from RM1 million to RM3 million per year, exempting businesses with annual sales not exceeding RM3 million from this obligation. Additionally, an extra RM1 billion in micro-financing facilities will be provided, increasing the total fund for 2026 from RM5 billion to RM6 billion.
The government will introduce the MADANI Prosperity Grant (Geran Sejahtera MADANI) amounting to RM200 million to support hawkers, small traders, night market vendors, and mothers running home-based businesses. These measures consider the ongoing cost of living pressures faced by the public and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Anwar highlighted that although Budget 2027 will be tabled soon, certain measures need to be implemented earlier due to urgent cost-of-living pressures and business requirements. He expressed a commitment to providing temporary relief to school children, youths, housewives, and mothers with these announcements.
The Prime Minister unveiled six immediate initiatives for the people, including restoring the BUDI95 base eligibility from 200 to 300 liters per month, increasing school maintenance allocations, and launching the AI Untuk Rakyat programme for youths. Other initiatives involve strengthening digital efficiency in public health, raising the e-Invoice exemption threshold, and enhancing micro-financing and grant facilities.