KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — The Ministry of Economy will continue to focus on development expenditure in Budget 2027, which is expected to be tabled this October, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

He said all ministries have submitted their development proposals, and evaluations are being conducted at the ministry level through a bidding mechanism.

“But at the same time, we acknowledge that 2026 is a year in which we must manage the economy in a crisis situation. Therefore, in preparing for 2027, the Ministry of Economy is looking at the situation from a development aspect.

“The engagement process must be carried out as thoroughly as possible. To date, all ministries have already submitted their development planning proposals for 2027,” he told reporters after the Ministerial session at Invest Malaysia here today.

Akmal Nasrullah said a detailed review of those development plans will begin next month.

He said that the government remains committed to implementing the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), including a development expenditure target of around RM619 billion over the plan’s five-year implementation period.

Regarding the influx of e-commerce products from China and the participation of foreign businesses in the local market, the minister said the government must strike a balance between facilitating business and ensuring fair competition for local players.

He said that while the ease of doing business is important, the government must prevent unhealthy competition that could harm local businesses.

“From one perspective, ease of doing business is crucial to enabling economic activities to run smoothly. But at the same time, we must manage it so that unhealthy competition does not occur,” he said.

Akmal Nasrullah said the issue had been presented to the Cabinet, which agreed to set up a special committee led by the Ministry of Finance to study the matter thoroughly, as it involves various ministries and agencies.

“Among the ministries involved are the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, which is responsible for consumer matters, and the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, which handles the development of small and medium enterprises,” he added. — Bernama