KUALA LUMPUR: Budget 2026 will strengthen social protection and lift household resilience, while the investment focus will be on semiconductors, energy transition, digitalisation, startups, and the industries of tomorrow, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
He highlighted that the budget to be tabled on Friday would be about "protecting households from today's pressures while laying the foundations for tomorrow's growth.”
"For the families balancing the monthly budget, or the young Malaysians searching for their first job, uncertainty is not an idea; it is a lived reality. Budget 2026 is designed with them at its heart,” he said in his closing address at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum (KMF) 2025 here today.
He said the budget is not a stand-alone exercise, but the "opening act” of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), charting Malaysia’s course from 2026 to 2030.
"Our direction is clear. Malaysia will re-industrialise with the New Industrial Master Plan, lead in semiconductors through the National Semiconductor Strategy, accelerate the energy transition, and embrace digitalisation and innovation.
"All these strategies share one goal - to secure better jobs, stronger businesses, and brighter opportunities for our children The budget also secures our fiscal foundations -narrowing the fiscal deficit to 3.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, reducing reliance on debt, and strengthening governance through the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2023 and new laws on transparency," he continued.
The minister said the 13MP will not just be a plan for the economy, but a plan for Malaysians. "For workers, it means better jobs. For households, more affordable living. For small businesses, stronger support to grow. For the young, more opportunities to stay and succeed at home," he added.
Amir Hamzah also noted that Malaysia’s economy is resilient. "Even as global tides challenge us, Malaysia has demonstrated resilience, with record foreign direct investments, a stronger ringgit, improved competitiveness, falling unemployment, and low inflation," he said. - Bernama
