KOTA TINGGI: The government has recovered about RM15.5bil from leakages over the past two years, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He noted that the funds have helped cushion subsidies amid the global energy crisis.
“Some people ask how we can survive. We now have to pay subsidies of RM6bil a month.
“Alhamdulillah, a few years ago, because we worked hard to tackle leakages, we saved RM15.5bil in lost national funds.
“We must know how that money can be saved and where the leakages occurred. This had to be stopped,” he said in his speech after meeting Felda settlers at Felda Semenchu yesterday.
Anwar stressed the need for political will, social support and a capable workforce to ensure efficient management of the country’s finances.
The Prime Minister also said that the government is actively finding solutions to global challenges.
“Although costs are increasing, we continue to maintain subsidies so that the people are not burdened like in other countries facing much higher fuel prices.
“This is a major economic crisis. If the situation does not improve within one or two months, the impact will reach every village in our state,” he said.
On a separate matter, Anwar assured that the Felda development agenda would continue to be strengthened.
He also announced an allocation of RM500,000 to upgrade basic facilities at Felda Semenchu.
“Although no specific request was submitted, I saw the needs in this area and the government will ensure assistance is channelled for the people’s well-being,” he said.
He urged the people to remain united and patient amid current challenges, and to practise prudence in managing daily expenses.
At another event in Pengerang, Anwar announced that the government is investing RM100mil to establish a vocational college aimed at creating a talent pool to serve one of the country’s main oil and gas hubs.
He said the nation’s key oil hubs are in Johor, Sarawak and Sabah.
“This vocational college is a strategic project, and we hope it will be completed by 2030,” he said at SMK Tanjung Pengelih, which premises and facilities will be used during the initial set-up phase.
Anwar emphasised that the oil and gas sector is critical to the country and requires specialised expertise.
“We also need to intensify training through Technical and Vocational Education and Training, similar to Japan and Germany,” he said, adding that the sector also needs skilled personnel in Data Centres and other digital technologies.
He noted that in the past, universities would take a year to launch a new course, but this has now been reduced to one and a half months.
“This means we can now introduce a new course, discipline, or technology within this timeframe. There is no reason why we need to be slow or fail to compete with others,” he added.
Anwar said that Data Centres are helping Malaysia navigate uncertain times, driving significant export growth.
“This is a positive sign for the country,” he said, noting that Malaysia continues to attract electrical and electronics companies and digital technology investments.
