KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Budget 2027 must heed the voice of the people and meet their aspirations by driving the country’s development and improving the people’s well-being, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said Malaysia was not spared the effects of the energy crisis and cost-of-living pressures arising from the conflict in West Asia.

“The Madani government will prioritise the people’s aspirations and address their concerns to safeguard the well-being of families.

“Therefore, the Madani government expresses its appreciation to everyone who contributed their views in the 2027 Budget Engagement Session. We must listen to voices from all segments of society so that the country’s progress is not merely reflected in figures, but is genuinely felt by the people across the country,” he said in a statement today.

The 2027 Budget Engagement Session, chaired by Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, served as a prelude to the journey towards the Fifth Madani Budget, which will be tabled in Parliament on Oct 9, 2026.

Under the theme “Malaysia Madani: Menggapai di Langit, Mengakar di Bumi”, Budget 2027 will remain anchored on the three pillars of the Madani Economy: Raising the ceiling of national growth, Raising the floor of the people’s well-being, and Driving governance reform in the administration of the country.

At the same time, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) also launched Budget 2027 Consultation Portal and the 2027 Pre-Budget Statement.

Nearly 400 participants from government agencies, the private and industrial sectors, academia, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, and international organisations shared their views and submitted proposals to strengthen the preparation of Budget 2027.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the 2027 Pre-Budget Statement published today outlined 10 focus areas to guide the consultation process before Budget 2027 is finalised.

“These include efforts to address cost-of-living pressures; strengthen social protection; empower education, healthcare and basic services; enhance business competitiveness and productivity; as well as strengthen food security and economic resilience,” he said.

Among the matters discussed at today’s Engagement Session were expanding social protection and primary healthcare, enhancing business competitiveness through automation and artificial intelligence, accelerating the green transition and carbon-market readiness, as well as strengthening household resilience and food security.

“Today’s session marks the beginning of a series of focus-group meetings that will be held to further refine proposals from various sectors and segments of society. The MoF will follow up with a series of Budget 2027 roadshows to engage with the people and stakeholders across regions and states,” the MoF said.

Members of the public can submit their views and proposals through the Budget 2027 Consultation Portal at https://belanjawan.mof.gov.my/. — Bernama