PETALING JAYA: All ministries have been notified of adjustments to their operating expenditure as part of the government's efforts to streamline activities amid ongoing global supply challenges, said government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
"Each ministry has received notification from the Finance Ministry regarding certain adjustments to operating expenditure.
"This is in line with the government's intention to coordinate activities, programmes and implementation, especially as Malaysia faces challenges arising from the global supply crisis," Fahmi said during his weekly press conference at Angkasapuri on Wednesday (April 29).
He added that clear guidelines had been provided but further details would be worked out through discussions involving the secretaries-general of each ministry, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and the Treasury Secretary-General.
Asked if there were plans to review Budget 2026, Fahmi said there were none.
Fahmi also said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had stressed that all official events, workshops and large-scale activities organised by ministries, agencies, statutory bodies, government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) must be held on a moderate scale.
He said that Anwar also addressed the Madani Adopted Villages (Kampung Angkat Madani) initiative, underscoring the need for careful coordination at federal level.
"The Prime Minister stressed that this federal government initiative must be coordinated properly so that its objectives are clearly understood and efforts at the federal level are synchronised, especially with MPs, particularly among backbenchers," Fahmi added.
In a directive issued on Wednesday (April 29), Finance Ministry secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican said the Treasury had ordered government ministries and agencies to cut operating expenditures due to the impact of the Middle East conflict.
Johan also said the National Budget Office had been asked to review the remaining expenditure under Budget 2026.
According to Johan, the approved Budget 2026 allocated only RM15bil for subsidies, a sharp reduction from previous years, given that fuel subsidies alone amounted to RM38bil in 2023.
