Kuala lumpur: Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan expressed confidence that the upcoming Budget 2026, to be presented in Parliament by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will not sideline any community. Ramanan emphasized that the budget will serve all Malaysians, regardless of culture, race, or religion.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ramanan mentioned that his ministry's wishlist has been submitted to the Finance Ministry following discussions with Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick and senior officials. He reiterated the commitment of the MADANI Government to inclusivity, stating that the budget does not allocate specific amounts for the Indian, Chinese, or Malay communities separately.

Recently, Ewon expressed hope that the upcoming Budget will prioritize the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the cooperative movement, and the franchise, informal, and micro enterprise sectors.

Meanwhile, Ramanan, who is also the Sungai Buloh Member of Parliament, discussed the Deepavali Vanakam MADANI Food Basket Programme, which involves contributions totaling nearly RM2 million. This initiative aims to support 16,600 underprivileged and B40 families nationwide, with an additional 1,000 recipients from the Sungai Buloh constituency under Ramanan's allocation.

As a symbolic gesture, Ramanan distributed food baskets to 50 families in Sungai Buloh. Each basket contains essential items such as rice, cooking oil, murukku flour, adhirasam flour, dhal, and sesame oil, which are associated with the Deepavali celebration happening on October 20 this year.