The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has defended the government’s official overseas travel, saying spending rationalisation measures are aimed at curbing non-essential expenditure rather than halting all official trips.
Responding to a CodeBlue report titled “Ministers, Officials Go Around the World on 50 Trips in 50 Days”, MOF said the fiscal measures were introduced to help offset the sharp rise in subsidy costs following higher global oil prices triggered by the Middle East conflict.
The ministry said official overseas travel has been limited to pre-scheduled commitments, mandatory meetings and engagements that are essential and strategically important to the country.
MOF said spending controls have not affected critical public services, including healthcare and education. For 2026, the Health Ministry will recruit more than 18,000 healthcare personnel, including 4,500 medical officers, over 3,500 nurses and nearly 1,000 assistant medical officers.
The government has also increased the allocation for medicines to RM6.5 billion in 2026 from RM6 billion a year earlier, while funding for advanced specialist training has been raised to RM24 million for 400 training slots.
MOF said official overseas visits should be assessed based on their purpose and outcomes rather than the number of trips, citing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visits to Turkmenistan and Russia, which strengthened Malaysia’s long-term energy security and diversified its energy supply.
The ministry said Malaysia’s participation in international engagements on trade, energy, healthcare, defence and regional cooperation remains essential to protecting national interests, securing investments and ensuring resilient supply chains.
MOF reiterated that the government will continue tightening controllable spending while safeguarding healthcare, education, subsidies and assistance programmes to protect the rakyat.
