The Dewan Rakyat this week approved Budget 2026 allocations at the committee stage for eight ministries, including the Works, Transport, Health and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living ministries.
Also receiving approval were the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry, Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Housing and Local Government Ministry and Youth and Sports Ministry. To date, allocations for 19 ministries and the Prime Minister’s Department have been approved, with committee-stage debates for eight more ministries scheduled next week.
The Budget 2026 committee-stage debates and winding-up sessions for each ministry are slated from 5 to 27 November.
During the week’s proceedings, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar attended Minister’s Question Time before departing for an official visit to Africa, earning appreciation from Members of Parliament.
Among the issues raised, Anwar highlighted plans to strengthen the country’s legal institutions, noting that four bills covering the Ombudsman, freedom of information (FOI), political funding and the separation of powers between the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor are expected to be tabled next year.
He added that amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 will also be introduced to provide both protection and incentives for whistleblowers.
Anwar also discussed the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2024–2028, stating that regular monitoring is ongoing, with improvement proposals under review, including tax incentives and allowances for witnesses willing to cooperate.
The Prime Minister further highlighted the achievements of enforcement agencies in tackling corruption, leakages, smuggling and cartels, which have contributed to the recovery of RM15.5 billion in government revenue.
Addressing concerns over the 17th Sabah State Election, Anwar stressed that no government assets were used and explicitly prohibited government agencies from participating in any party campaign activities.
Additionally, four bills were tabled for first reading this week, with their second reading scheduled during the current session. These are the Rukun Tetangga (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Legal Profession (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2025, the Finance Bill 2025 and the Measures for the Collection, Administration and Enforcement of Tax Bill 2025.
The Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament is scheduled to sit for 35 days until 4 December.
Bernama
