KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 -- A total of RM16 billion has been allocated under Budget 2021 for the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), while the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) will get RM17 billion.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said to ensure the preparedness of main assets belonging to the Malaysian Armed Forces, maintenance allocation would be increased to RM2.3 billion next year from the RM2 billion allocated in 2020.

Apart from that, he said RM27 million would be allocated to CyberSecurity Malaysia to increase the country's cybersecurity controls.

"The government always ensures that the welfare of military personnel is not neglected. Apart from continuing to maintain the existing home facilities for family members of Armed Forces personnel, the government has also approved the construction of almost 1,000 new housing units with a total cost of almost RM500 million,” he said.

He said this when tabling Budget 2021 with the theme 'Teguh Kita, Menang Bersama' (In our strength lies our collective victory) in the Dewan Rakyat, today.

In appreciating the role of the People’s Volunteer Corps (RELA) to help break the COVID-19 chain of infection, he said a total of RM153 million would be allocated to the corps, including to upgrade facilities at training centres.

-- BERNAMA