PM: No cuts in healthcare hiring, school expansion

PUTRAJAYA: The intake of new doctors and nurses as well as the expansion of school capacity will not be affected by the government’s expenditure rationalisation, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The assurance by the Prime Minister comes amid public confusion over recent announcements of government budgetary adjustments.

He stressed that recruitment in the healthcare sector “is not affected at all”.

“For medical services, the intake of new doctors and nurses, all of this is not affected, not impacted.

“The construction of clinics is also not affected.

“Only the scope of more luxu­rious hospital projects will be reduced,” he told reporters when met at the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday.

Anwar said while the Education Ministry would see some expen­diture cuts, key priorities such as building new classrooms to accommodate student intake would continue as planned.

“Although we are reducing some spending under the Education Ministry, the construction of new classrooms for current student intake is not affec­ted,” he said.

He rubbished claims that the government was cutting essential spending on healthcare and education.

“Some people are too quick to react, saying how can we cut or reduce spending for schools and hospitals.

“That is not true,” he said.

Instead, Anwar said the ratio­na­li­­sation targets non-essential or excessive spending, including overseas courses, lavish events and overly expansive development projects.

“What we consider excessive spending such as unnecessary courses will be reduced.

“If courses can be conducted locally, then it is sufficient to do so without sending participants abroad,” he said.

Anwar said official events ­previously held at luxury hotels would instead be held at government premises while project scopes deemed excessive would be scaled back.

It was recently reported that the Finance Ministry had proposed a RM5.4bil reduction in operating expenditure involving the health and higher education sectors as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s fiscal position.