Focus on overseas expenses to cut costs

I APPLAUD the Cabinet’s decision to reduce the number of overseas trips by ministers and government officers and to cancel official Hari Raya open houses this year as part of the government’s fiscal prudence drive, “PM orders govt to carry out prudent spending measures” (The Star, March 12).

These measures are not unprecedented as they were implemented during the Asian Financial Crisis (1997-98) and the global financial meltdown in 2008.