Transcript of the interview with Lim Guan Eng post-2020 Budget

By Rohani Mohd Ibrahim

The first part of the transcript of the interview with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng with the host of Bernama’s Ruang Bicara Khas, Sherkawi Jirim, aired on Monday, Oct 14, at 2 pm.



PREAMBLE

The 2020 Budget, tabled by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng at the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, Oct 11, was the second budget tabled by him and Pakatan Harapan, which took over the country's administration after May 8, 2018.

Themed "Driving growth and equitable outcomes towards shared prosperity," the 2020 Budget proposed various initiatives to reduce the people’s cost of living, including farmers, smallholders and fishermen, as well as to provide more opportunities for them to improve their standard of living.

Pakatan Harapan's first budget, tabled in 2018, focused on fiscal consolidation and rationalisation, institutional reforms and people-centric policies to rectify financial mismanagement and abuse of power under the previous administration.

 The 2020 Budget, on the other hand, showed the government’s commitment to re-stabilise its financial position and resume 2020 Vision’s agenda with a new growth trajectory based on Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 launched by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

With 10 years of experience as Penang's chief minister and over a year as the country's finance minister, Lim regarded his second budget as a people's budget that included youth and women.

Following is the full transcript of the interview by Bernama’s Ruang Bicara Khas host Sherkawi Jirim with Lim, post-2020 Budget:

Hello, we meet again in ‘Ruang Bicara’, brought to you by Bernama. We are actually broadcasting from the Ministry of Finance in Putrajaya, with a very special guest who is already here with me. We are certainly still discussing the 2020 Budget following its tabling in Parliament on Friday. We would like to thank our guest, Yang Berhormat (YB) Lim Guan Eng, who is the Finance Minister.

Sherkawi: YB, thank you very much for hosting us (Bernama) here at the Ministry of Finance.

Lim: Thank you for inviting me to take part in Bernama's Ruang Bicara programme. I am also keen to talk further on the 2020 Budget that was tabled on Friday.

Sherkawi: First of all, I personally would like to take the opportunity to congratulate YB on the tabling of the 2020 Budget, which was presented with clarity and confidence. What made Malaysians happy was there weren’t too many economic jargons that were difficult to understand when YB tabled the 2020 Budget. Therefore, congratulations, YB, on a presentation that to me was excellent. When talking about the 2020 Budget, the word “budget” itself, maybe not many really understand the significance of a budget.

What are the actual factors that would be taken into account before a budget is presented. YB, if you please.

Lim: Thank you. A budget is an economic and financial policy framework for the upcoming year. It also provides guidance not just for the people but particularly for the business and investment sectors on the direction of the government. Thus, the budget is very important. Often, it becomes one of the highlights during a parliamentary session. And in this budget, we are focusing on the people. It is not only to encourage or nurture entrepreneurship but also the people’s well-being, in line with Shared Prosperity Vision inspired by Yang Amat Berhormat (YAB) Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

So, in this budget, we can see a lot of what I call economic tips. Those came from YAB Tun. But, in short, there are several core policies that I would like to emphasise. One is to catalyse economic growth among Malaysian companies so that we can increase exports. That's what YAB Tun has often emphasised. There's no point of us becoming only local champions. We must become global champions so we can grow bigger. If we limited ourselves to just the domestic market, in the end we would just be stagnant. But, if we want to really become successful, we must succeed in the export market. So, that was emphasised in the incentives given not only to local firms but also to attract what we refer to as Fortune 500 companies and the global unicorns, namely start-up or technology companies worth more than US$1 billion. This is number one.

Secondly, I think what’s more important and maybe felt directly by Malaysians, particularly those who are yet to get jobs, is the #MalaysiaKerja policy. Here we want to motivate workers via a fair wage because some have said that many Malaysians don’t want to work. However, I am of the opinion that they don't want to work because they are being paid the same as foreign workers. In that case, it would be difficult to motivate them. Therefore, a new work policy that we call #MalaysiaKerja was drafted that allows us to give wage incentives to these workers, while at the same time encourage more employers to hire the locals. They (employers) will be given incentive and this will be managed by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), whereby the incentive will be deposited into the EPF account if there is a balance.

For example, for graduates, we give a wage incentive of RM500 a month. Of the RM500, his contribution, let's say RM400, so there will be a balance of RM100. The remaining RM100 will be deposited into the EPF account and they can withdraw it. That’s why we asked EPF to manage it so that the EPF contribution can be fulfilled, and at the same time, EPF can ensure that the workers can really utilise the incentive.

We run the programme with a mechanism in which we have the expertise. (The incentive is) not only for graduates but also regular workers who replace foreign workers. We call it  #WatanKerja. This is native jobs for the locals. On top of that, there’s also (an incentive) for women. Some said that this budget is a women’s budget, youth’s budget. I prefer to say it’s a people’s budget that includes youth and women.

There are many incentives for women because if Malaysia is to become a developed nation, it is very important for us to increase women’s participation in the labour market. Now we are at 55 per cent, which is still not enough as we have to achieve 60 per cent. Incentives we give are wage incentive and (hiring) incentive for the employers. The programme requires RM6.5 billion for five years. It is a huge expenditure but when we look at its positive impact on the local market, it is enormous; what we call a multiplier effect. Enormous because all these wages would be spent in Malaysia and not for shopping in London or other places.

Sherkawi: YB used the term “huge expenditure”. To me, it means a great challenge to YB and others in the Pakatan Harapan government. Given the current economic scenario, the challenges the country has to face with huge debts that need to be settled (and) global economic uncertainty, is it a major challenge to YB and colleagues at the Ministry of Finance, and the government as a whole, to meet the wishes of the people

Lim: It is true that the debt issue that we inherited from the previous government is very challenging. But, until now the new government has managed to pay off the obligations and debts through administrative reforms and belt-tightening measures. The most important thing is this government is a government with integrity. Without corruption, we at least can use the money to pay off debts. However, at the same time, we can’t just focus on debts. We’ve got to look at the programmes that can benefit the people directly. What important is, what we call the game-changer, is how we can change people’s life. Here we see that one of the areas that we have to focus on is unemployment, especially among graduates, which has been a problem for a long time. It has gone on for more than a decade with no real solutions. That is why we want to try this initiative. It is true that this initiative may not have been implemented anywhere else, but we have faith in expertise that we have at the EPF and the government’s sincerity to see our young people gain work experience because each offer is for two years.

For example, the RM500 incentive a month is for two years but after two years, with the experience they gain, complemented by their specialised skill sets, I think the employers would want to keep them after two years. Or even if they go to other companies, these companies would want to hire them. So, that’s what important. I think that will give each of them an opportunity to get a job. Because a job gives us our self-esteem, our dignity. With the ability and existing experience, (one) can support oneself, can raise a family.

Sherkawi: I would like to have your honest answer on this one issue,YB. It is about the debt that was said to be huge -- the country's debt of more than RM1 trillion. There is talk out there, especially among the opposition, that the amount is not the real amount, as if the government of the day is trying to play up the issue as a political issue to gain sympathy and support from the people. What is your comment on this, YB.

Lim: If we talk about the direct debt, it’s about RM800 billion. But we shouldn’t forget that the government is also a guarantor for 1Malaysia Development Bhd’s (1MDB) debts and government-linked companies (GLCs). If we were to mention the commitment of all debts, liabilities and guarantees, it is more than RM1.1 trillion.  For example, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Telekom Malaysia (TM), (the government) is also a guarantor (to them) but we don’t take them into consideration because we all know TNB can pay its debt. Even though we are already the guarantor, we help them to get a lower interest rate, and it is expected and known to all that the government doesn’t have to pay this debt.

When we talk about guarantees that we took into account as government debt, it is because the companies went bankrupt such as 1MDB -- they are bankrupt, don’t exist anymore, unable to pay back debts. As a guarantor, we have to step in on their behalf and shoulder the debt. I think we all know that if you become a guarantor and the friend cannot pay, the guarantor will have to pay. So, if this happens at the highest level, the government, it is also the same. Why do certain quarters want to deny it They know it, they just don’t want to be responsible to continue to slander and spread things that are the opposite of the reality. But that is something that we have to face. For example, 1MDB, whether we like it or not, we still have to pay RM2.7 billion next year. This year we have to pay RM2.4 billion. A total of RM5.1 billion within two years. That is as a guarantee. It wasn’t us who received it (the money) but 1MDB. However, as a guarantor, when 1MDB cannot pay, we are the one who has to pay it. If we look at the amount, it is not just 1MDB or companies involved with 1MDB -- for example, the Multi-Product Pipeline in Sabah whereby RM8.3 billion or 88 per cent had been paid despite no work being done. We can't find even a single screw on the ground at the project site.

On top of that, there are other scandals that are not related to 1MDB such as Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, Tabung Haji and Felda. All together it involved RM150 billion, a huge amount. If the United States were to be involved in US$37 billion scandals, it would also suffer, let alone a small country like Malaysia. So, that’s the challenge that we face and we face it successfully to the extent that international credit rating agencies, such as Moody, S&P or Fitch, they know the challenge that we are facing, problems we have to deal, but they still maintain Malaysia's credit rating. This shows total confidence in Malaysia’s ability in dealing with this mountain of debts. I think that was an outstanding achievement of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a prime minister because, for normal countries, they usually will face a downgrade. We are still able to maintain it (the rating) and this is important. If our rating is downgraded, it will result in a higher interest rate.

Sherkawi: Another issue that is being played out there among the people is they want to know what happens to Tabung Harapan’s collection, how much is the amount and where it was spent.

Lim: After the Tabung Harapan was closed early this year, a total of RM203 million was collected and was utilised fully to pay 1MDB's debt. It was audited by the Auditor-General and also by accounting firms. We can vouch 100 per cent that every single sen was utilised to pay back debt, not misappropriated like 1MDB.

Sherkawi: Back to the 2020 Budget, there is something quite interesting about the government of the day’s courage in changing the current economic situation. We are talking about the digital economy and such. What are we actually trying to achieve

Lim: A lot of incentives have been given. I don’t want to elaborate on every incentive. They are to encourage companies to shift to the digital era. But it’s not just for the company. I will touch on this later. It is also for the people to adapt to the digital era. That’s why we have come up with an initiative to encourage all to become e-wallet users. So we pay using the mobile phone as a step forward towards becoming a cashless society. It is clearly good to pay using a mobile phone, as it will reduce misappropriation and corruption risks because everything is recorded. To encourage the transition to e-wallet, the government will give a one-off incentive of RM30 to shop using an e-wallet to all who have an annual income of less than RM100,000. It is valid for two months from Jan 1, 2020, to Feb 29, 2020. Just register and receive RM30 for spending. We hope through this initiative, many more will use e-wallet and we expect to attract 15 million Malaysians, involving RM450 million in expenditure. That’s a one-off. It could be considered as a mini-stimulus to the economy.

For companies, there are a lot of incentives being given. I have explained it in detail on Friday and these incentives amount to RM1 billion. Our hope is this will encourage companies whether they venture into the new economy or digital economy, including old companies or retailers. They have to take part in the digital era. Like headscarves that are sold online -- they record high business volumes. Even now, we have celebrities that we don’t have to name who have become so successful. Not just headscarves, there are other local products in the rural areas that could benefit from online shopping and earn more income.

Sherkawi: Is this one of the factors in the allocation for the Ministry of Education which is mostly focused on vocational and technical education What is the government trying to achieve actually via the 2020 Budget

Lim: This will be implemented in two stages. In one stage, just like YAB Tun Dr Mahathir had emphasised, we have to provide digital equipment to small-scale entrepreneurs in the rural areas to the best of our ability. As many may not understand accounting, how are they going to ensure that they will be able to operate successfully in terms of finance Secondly, they must venture into online shopping. If they don’t participate in the online business, it is difficult to grow their businesses. Thirdly, it is important for them to know how to package their products. If we want to sell, we must ensure the presentation is nice. So packaging is important. If the packaging is nice, customers will be more interested to buy. This is what we have to do in general and we will ask various agencies to manage the initiative.

At the school level, we want our children to start early, to learn about finance, business, the importance of packaging and presentation. The importance of doing things online. (We) have to start it early and this will be undertaken by the Ministry of Education. Of course, the education sector is receiving the biggest allocation, from RM60 billion in the 2019 Budget to RM64 billion in the 2020 Budget. This shows the government’s commitment and emphasis on education.

Sherkawi:  Another interesting issue that is a topic of conversation out there following the tabling of the 2020 Budget is Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET). Has the time come for the government to look into the matter Some say there are problems that the government needs to view holistically before TVET can really be at the desired level.

Lim: The government indeed emphasises TVET by raising the allocation to it to RM5.9 billion, which is a very large amount. TVET is currently managed by various ministries and all ministries are making commendable efforts. We also received feedback that rationalisation should be carried out. And I believe that this will be thoroughly studied so there is no duplication, no waste.

Another new approach planned is to enable the trainees to study in the factories as it would be expensive for us to buy the machinery (for the institutes). Often (the machinery) is either obsolete or behind times. The factories usually operate the newest, most modern machinery. If we can motivate them (the factories) to take in the TVET trainees, the trainees will be able to learn automation and gain the latest knowledge by using not old machines but new ones.

Sherkawi: There are also views that the RM5.9 billion allocated for TVET is too small and not enough. There are also those who say it looks good on paper but from the implementation aspect, it does not achieve the objective. Please comment, YB.

Lim: That is truly a big challenge. We can plan everything but if the execution is lacking, everything will fail. That is why I always say planning is important but even more important is the execution. Execution -- this will be the focus of the Finance Ministry. When the Treasury secretary-general (Tan Sri Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir) returns from overseas, he will hold a meeting this month itself. Hence work can start (immediately). No need to wait till next year. We hope we can shorten the time and ensure the mechanism built is effective.

This is why we give the task to agencies and institutions with the relevant expertise such as Khazanah Nasional for the e-wallet digital stimulus, the EPF for #MalaysiaKerja, and other select agencies to implement the programmes. If there were an expert body for TVET, there would be savings that could be channelled back to TVET education.

The Finance Ministry has drafted a new policy which we believe to be a game-changer in terms of administrative reformation, whereby if any ministry generates savings from the projects it implements, the savings will be re-channelled to the ministry. There is no need to return the sum to the Finance Ministry. We hope that with this new approach, there will be more savings, more creative and innovative ideas, so that the ministries can enjoy the savings fully.

Sherkawi: Now we move on to news that brings a bit of joy to the people, particularly toll highway users. What can you share with the viewers regarding the government's stance on this issue

Lim: As we are fulfilling the election promises, the government is facing a huge debt burden. It is difficult to fulfil our aspiration, as the RM150 billion loss is not easy to recover. If it wasn’t 1MDB, I believe this is possible. Being under these circumstances does mean we are not doing anything. So, we have to find an alternative or another approach. And in our one year's effort, we have found a way which must meet two important conditions. Firstly, significant savings for consumers in terms of low toll payments. Secondly, it must be fiscal positive.

This means that we must not increase the debt burden, as well as the existing debt servicing. Both conditions can be achieved by the method I mentioned earlier where we have decided to reduce toll collection by 18 per cent across the board for the North-South Expressway (NSE). Not just for one or two years but during the concession period. At the same time, it will also mean cost savings for the people, as besides paying less tolls on the NSE, the 18 per cent reduction is translated into savings of at least RM1,130 million a year. That's a huge amount. But at the same time, the government does not have to pay compensation. We have to keep in mind that when we decided to freeze all toll hikes, we have to pay compensation to the concessionaires. And this is a large sum estimated to cost tens of billions of ringgit in compensation payments. This will also be saved. In this way, we think this is a win-win formula. Win for the people by paying less toll, win for the government because it does not have to pay the compensation and does not increase the debt burden.

Sherkawi: Another issue that calls for government attention is the congestion that is causing anxiety to users of the Johor Causeway. This is an issue that needs to be taken seriously by the government. So, on behalf of the MoF, what will YB do next

Lim: In the short term, the MoF has allocated RM85 million to reduce congestion. But a a long-term solution, the government has agreed to proceed with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project between Johor and Singapore. We think this is good news for residents. And we will try our best to save. And at the same time, we will study the improvements that can be made so that we can reduce this extremely challenging congestion. We want to assure the people of Johor that this problem has always been on our mind. We will keep trying to find a formula or method to minimise this problem.

Sherkawi: On the proposal to sell the PLUS highway, what is that position right now

Lim: It is still being negotiated because we want to protect the (interests) of PLUS owners, Khazanah and the EPF, as both organisations belong to the government and the people. The EPF manages the contribution of 15 million employees in Malaysia. We need to take care of their interests. That is why negotiations are held to ensure that they do not lose their investment. That is why Khazanah (Nasional) has stated so emphatically that it will not sell PLUS to a private company. Because when a big company buys, it has to make a profit. If there are people who make a profit, there must be people who do not make not profit. The parties who stand tom lose are the EPF and Khazanah. That's why they are only interested to deal with the government. But no matter what, we will study all the proposals presented either from Khazanah or other parties.

Sherkawi: Let’s talk about shared prosperity which was widely publicised ahead of the 2020 Budget 2020 presentation. How do you see the prosperity imbalances among the population, as well as between states, urban and rural areas, and income groups. How do you correct them and achieve the so-called shared prosperity.

Lim: That's why if we were to look at subsidies. They have been raised by RM2 billion, from RM20.3 billion to RM24.2 billion. So the subsidies have been increased. And rural development has been raised from RM9.7 billion to RM10.9 billion. This is an attempt to correct the imbalance as stated by Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad). But at the same time, we must remember that in order for the Shared Prosperity Vision to succeed we must generate prosperity. In other words, the existing prosperity must be growth-centric. Only then can we succeed in sharing it more widely and equitably. That's why when we talk about the budget it is not merely distribution but it is also greater focus on growth so that the prosperity can be enjoyed together. And this is not just between regions. See what is given to Sabah and Sarawak. It’s the biggest in history.

Sherkawi: Sabah is allocated RM5.2 billion, while Sarawak, RM4.4 billion. But the most interesting thing is the federal grants. Government grants are being increased greatly to the extent that Sabah is to receive RM53.4 million, while Sarawak, RM32 million. Views have been expressed why this is done. Is it because of the pressure mounted by Sabah and Sarawak now that they started talking about the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). Is that the reason why

Lim: It's about time. Because even in the Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto there is a mention of the need to give due attention to MA63, the agreement between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia because these two states were ignored by the previous government. For example, the grants were last reviewed in 1969. It was not reviewed for a long time. That's why they are increased by 100 per cent. What we are doing is correcting what was lacking in the past.

And this takes time. At least we hope the people in Sabah and Sarawak can see our sincerity to implement it, that we are serious, we are committed and the obligation is there. but must give time so that (when) the financial position is restored, then we can do more.

Sherkawi: Let us touch on the housing issue. This is a serious issue, that has become the grumblings among the people. And obviously, in the 2020 Budget, there were measures that will be introduced by the government in efforts to resolve this problem among the people.

Lim: There is one new initiative whereby YB Zuraida and we at the Finance Ministry agreed to implement, that is, rent-to-own. Whereby the government will give a guarantee of 30 per cent to financial institutions (build houses for rent) for five years and after this, they are given a one-year period to decide whether to buy or not.

And if (they) want to buy, it’s not at the prevailing market prices but what was set five years ago when they made the agreement. So, that is the proposal made and the government feels if we give this initiative to the public sector because they are more efficient and more productive. We can successfully attain our objective, that is, we achieve our target of 100,00 housing units every year.

Doesn’t matter public housing or affordable houses. Because this involves houses priced up to RM500,000. And we hope this is a game-changer. This budget we can say is a game changer budget. We hope this is another game-changer for the housing sector to ensure that each family has a roof over their head.

Sherkawi: On the health sector perhaps YB wants to explain.

Lim: Health sector was also given focus. A sector that gets the second-highest allocation. Certainly there’s a lot of programmes for implementation. Not just new hospitals but more importantly is to ensure sufficient equipment for the existing hospitals. What we observed, if previously they only built hospitals to show off that a new hospital is (built) here, there, but neglect the existing hospitals. There are machines/equipment in hospitals that had not been replaced or repaired at all in 15 years. Now we carry out the 3R initiative, that is, repair, replace and restore. Existing old hospitals get a lot of allocation, we double this to ensure the existing hospitals are able to provide treatment in line with the hospital status of treating the people.

Sherkawi: We now go on to something that is close to YB. This involves civil servants. Cuepacs before this budget was tabled hoped that perhaps this time the civil servants’ salary will be increased. On the bonus, maybe they are relieved because at least there’s a bonus payment to the civil servants. But on the salary increment does YB see it could be given attention in the future but not in this budget.

Lim: If the financial position improves certainly it will be given attention accordingly. But even then for this budget, we can see that COLA (cost of living allowance) has been increased for the first time since 2007. This is for support group. But at least there’s an increase as what is asked by Cuepacs. And the minimum pay is also raised by RM100 in urban areas to RM1200 a month. Meantime there were many proposals to increase benefits or welfare to workers, especially to women. They get maternity leave until 90 days. And for fathers, they also get three days paternity leave. Here, we can see that in terms of welfare there’s a lot of improvement. In financial aspects, for Armed Forces, Fire and Rescue Department, for Rela, we try to manage or fulfil the demands of various sectors. Maybe for next year we will look at other sectors.

Sherkawi: Perhaps it’s also interesting to share something with YB. Indeed we agreed that the 2020 Budget as what YB said is people-friendly. But there are also parties saying that this kind of budget is done amid Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) current situation if we look at recent by-elections whereby PH had lost in some by-elections. Was that the reason why YB and friends in PH feel that the budget this time should be very close to the people’s heart.    

Lim: What is important is we want to change the people’s mindset that such a budget is (done) only because there’s an election. The election is still a long way off, must wait I think almost four years. But if we can make a mindset shift that the budget should provide benefits to the people, regardless of whether there’s an election or not. In fact, Datuk Seri Anwar (Ibrahim) when he met me after the tabling of the budget, said it looked like an election budget. My reaction was that budget every year must be like an election budget so that we can throw away altogether that there are benefits or goodies when there’s an election coming.

That I believe we must manage. Every year, if we can, must have such (budget) so that the people have confidence, investors have confidence and we can tell everyone this is the New Malaysia. New Malaysia for you so you can live with dignity, so you can get human rights to healthcare, good jobs with fair wages, and with high hopes that the children will lead better lives than their parents.

Sherkawi: I noticed that towards the end of your presentation of the 2020 Budget, your tone of voice was slightly higher, you sounded a bit more spirited.

Was that something you had planned for, or is that just part of your personality

Lim: I think I was just relieved that the presentation was coming to an end. I had to stand for two and a half hours, and that was a long time. (I thought) oh, this is the end, it should end with a little ummph.

Sherkawi: Surely there are parties looking for weaknesses in the budget, and the weaknesses will be used as political leverage to attack the current government. What is your advice with regards to this

Lim: As humans, we are not perfect. Only God is perfect. If there is anything lacking, we will try to fix it. But we hope that those who are unclear on anything would at least ask for clarification.

For example, when it was proposed that the threshold price for condominiums and apartments for foreign ownership be lowered from RM1 million to RM600,000 in 2020, it is only for existing unsold properties.

How does that mean that we are denying the rights of Malaysians If they want to buy, they can do so now, but because they don’t want to buy, it led to a property overhang. Those are the properties that we want to sell to the foreigners; because the locals don’t want them.

This is only for the year 2020, and this became an issue. It’s not for new properties, it’s for existing unsold properties. It’s not for new projects, so why worry that this move will hike up housing prices It only involves the current stock, only until the end of 2020. The allegation that this will deny Malaysians of their rights is illogical because if they wanted to buy the properties now, they can do so, but they don’t want to.

Sherkawi: On paper, everything sounds very interesting but the people actually hope that the implementation will be done accordingly and there will be no leakages, no abuse of power, money and such. So how can you guarantee this

Lim: I feel that the Prime Minister will ensure that there will be no leakages and corruption. He is very firm when it comes to this.

The most obvious difference between the current and the old government is in terms of integrity. That we are clean, that we are democratic. That will certainly be the priority. Back then it was corruption and kleptocracy.

And in terms of implementation, we will ensure that it will not be done by only one or two parties or just one or two agencies. We will ensure that it is done collectively. That is why the important initiatives are given to the Employees Provident Fund. Initiatives such as the digital stimulus to create the e-wallet, we gave to Khazanah. And on other things, we get inputs from other ministries.

Not just one ministry or one party. We will do everything we can as a team. There will be flaws, but we will try to fix it. If there are any inputs, please do share it with us sincerely, we will accept it with an open mind.

Sherkawi: Thank you very much, YB.

-- BERNAMA



 
 
Budget 2021: MoT to provide incentives to lighten people’s burden - Wee 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 -- The Ministry of Transport which receives RM6.05 billion allocation under Budget 2021, will be providing various incentives to benefit the people.


 
2021 Budget : MAFI, private sector must co-operate to optimise Budget 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16  -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) and the private sector must escalate co-operation to optimise the allocation in the 2021 Budget to MAFI so that the initiative to empower the national foodagro sector can be achieved by using the latest technologies to modernise agriculture. 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 



© 2018 BERNAMA. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Security Policy This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed in any form except with the prior written permission of BERNAMA.
Best viewed in Firefox 58.0.1 (64-bit) & Chrome Version 63.0.3239.132 (Official Build) (64-bit) with 1920 x 1080 resolution