KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today hinted at a special allocation for youth in Budget 2027, which will be tabled on October 9.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, said he has considered the younger generation’s grievances and requests, including education costs and the needs of students from low-income families.
“There are university students who say: ‘We want to study but we are hungry.’
“We will focus on this, and I will announce it during the budget tabling.
“Poor students who cannot afford it are forced to go into debt — these are issues we must listen to. I reiterate that this country is not poor; thank God, this nation has wealth,” he said when officiating the Youth Economic Forum at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here today.
Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari, political secretary to the finance minister Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, and Perdana Fellows Alumni Association president Fanitsyara Kam Phon.
Anwar added that he spent hours yesterday listening to the views of scholars and scientists on measures needed to ensure Malaysia does not lag behind.
“Who determines (the future of the country)? Not my generation, (but) the generation of these young people.
“Exploring the globe and these new disciplines is the domain of young people, (so) my responsibility is to provide the space, elevate the quality of education, and foster mastery of Malay, English, Chinese, Arabic, French, and German — go right ahead, give them the space," Anwar said.
