KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz unveiled Budget 2022 amounting to RM332.1bil, the nation's largest Budget to date, in Parliament on Friday (Oct 29).
Zafrul, who was attired in a peach-coloured Baju Melayu, tabled the Budget, which carries the theme "Keluarga Malaysia, Makmur Sejahtera" in line with the "Keluarga Malaysia" (Malaysian Family) concept, at about 4pm in the Dewan Rakyat.
The tabling of the Budget also marks the first under Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's administration following his appointment as Prime Minister on Aug 20 this year.
In his address, Tengku Zafrul said for Malaysia, it was clear that this year has been a challenging one, with a targeted recovery in the first part of the year that unfortunately had to be postponed due to the spread of Covid-19, which had become critical since the tabling of the last Budget.
"The country had to go through the long episode of the movement control order, while we implemented the National Recovery Plan, which was supported by the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as part of an exit strategy from this pandemic," he said.
"Now we have achieved 95% vaccination rate for our adult population and 62% for teenagers who have been fully vaccinated," he added.
He also revealed that the Finance Ministry team had carried out 80 engagement sessions including with MPs from both sides of the divide.
"We all have discussed, exchanged views and together thought about the betterment of the country," he said.
Next year, the focus would be to recover all segments of the country's socioeconomic aspect, added Tengku Zafrul.
Budget 2022, he said, will be based on three thrusts – the rakyat’s well-being, resilient businesses, and a prosperous and sustainable economy.
More to come
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