Health and education to continue receiving biggest allocations, Anwar says on budget

The health ministry and education ministry will continue to receive the biggest allocations under the budget for 2024, to be tabled on Oct 13, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. 

Anwar, who will be presenting his second budget as finance minister, said the matters of focus in the health ministry budget would be the building of health clinics and solving the problem of congestion at government hospitals.

"In the Madani budget, health and education issues will continue to be given emphasis. Our main focus is healthcare facilities, including hospitals.

"Some claim that since Anwar became prime minister, most hospitals have become congested. This problem has long existed, so we will manage it properly," he said in Ipoh yesterday.

Anwar also said subsidy rationalisation was necessary to ensure that government subsidies benefit the groups which truly need help.
 
He said this included treatment charges at government hospitals.

"We have to study it. If we want to continue with subsidies, there is no need to give to the 10% (high-income group). For example, hospital charges are low, even free in some cases, but we give to all. Is it wrong to impose higher payments on the richest group?" he said.