KUALA LUMPUR: Budget 2027 will include specific financial allocations to safeguard student welfare and eliminate hunger among underprivileged tertiary students, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.
Speaking at the closing of the Youth Economic Forum (YEF) 2026 on Saturday (Oct 3), Anwar said the government remains acutely aware of the financial pressures facing university students, asserting that no student should have their education compromised by lack of food.
"There are university students who say, 'We want to study, but we're hungry.' We will feed them," Anwar said. "I'll announce it later — I can't announce it now. But for poor children who can't afford it, we have to listen to these things."
The Prime Minister emphasized that Malaysia possesses sufficient resources to support its youth and education sector, provided public funds are protected from corruption and financial mismanagement.
Pointing to major past financial scandals involving 1MDB, Tabung Haji, and Felda, Anwar noted that billions of ringgit were drained through governance failures. He stressed that aggressive efforts to plug these leakages directly recover capital that can be funneled back into basic needs, student aid, and broader youth development programs.
"This country is not poor. Alhamdulillah, it has wealth," Anwar added, reiterating that strong anti-corruption measures remain essential to funding crucial social support mechanisms for the nation's students.
