Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to present Budget 2023 at the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, Feb 24 next year.
Parliament Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul reportedly said that Budget 2023 will be tabled in the first session of the 15th Parliament in February.
He said that the new budget plan will be tabled by Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance.
“Yes, Budget 2023 will be presented on February 24 because previously only a mini-budget was presented for government service expenses and civil servants’ salary payments.
“Overall, the Budget presentation and debate process including committee matters and policy will take 21 days,” Johari was quoted saying.
This is according to the items listed on the official portal of the Parliament. The second session of the 15th Parliament is to commence on Feb 13 with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address.
The second session will last 29 days.
On Dec 20, the Dewan Rakyat unanimously approved the 2023 Mini Budget and the Consolidated Fund (Accountable Expenditure) Bill 2022.
The new Budget 2023, to be tabled on Feb 24, will take into account the manifestos of all parties in the unity government, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
He said a special secretariat for the new Budget has been established to examine and study the manifestos to be included in the Budget.
Apart from that, he said, some improvements will also be considered in the new Budget to ensure it meets the people’s needs and agenda.
“There are various parties in the unity government. All of them have good manifestos to implement. A special secretariat has been formed to examine these manifestos,” he said at a press conference during his working visit to the Kemaman office of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department on Thursday.
Ahmad also said the government will continue with some of the initiatives made by the previous administration in its Budget 2023, such as the RM150 assistance for every school student regardless of family income, which will be disbursed beginning from Jan 12.
“Matters on the Budget will be discussed at the [Ministry of Finance] meeting on Jan 3. It is up to the prime minister to decide the theme of the Budget and its content,” he said.
The previous government led by former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob tabled the Budget 2023 on Oct 7, but it was not passed or debated at the Dewan Rakyat following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10.
