Hishammuddin: RM16 bln Allocation in 2022 Budget to be Used for National Defence

01 November 2021

Budget 2022 for defence sector (image : Hishamuddin)

KUALA LUMPUR: The RM16 billion allocation for the Defence Ministry will be fully utilised for the benefit of the country's defence sector, and fulfil the aspirations of Keluarga Malaysia, especially for Malaysian armed forces personnel, veterans and its civilian staff.

Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussien said the allocation announced in the tabling of the 2022 Budget was also the highest since the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

"Alhamdulillah, #Bajet2022 is inclusive, comprehensive and reflects the budget from the people, by the people, for the people. No one is left behind.

"Women, single mothers, the elderly, young people, all will benefit. Education, digitalisation and most importantly health initiatives have been given priority (and) are needed in our preparation for the #Covid-19 endemic phase," he said in a post on his official Facebook account today.

Hishammuddin also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz for allocating RM16.1 billion to the Defence Ministry.

Tengku Zafrul, in tabling next year's budget, announced that the Defence and Home ministries will be allocated RM16 billion and RM17 billion, respectively.

He also said that RM1.6 billion was allocated to enhance the preparedness of the main assets of the armed forces, and RM14 million to replace the main equipment of Paskal (Royal Malaysian Navy special forces) and Paskau (Royal Malaysia Air Force special forces), including parachutes, underwater breathing gear and boats.

Apart from that, the government will also add four new immigration gateways, among others in Telok Melano and Baleh in Sarawak, to meet the need for increased movement following the Indonesian government's move to relocate its capital to Kalimantan and the opening of the Pan Borneo Highway along the Telok Melano line, he said.

Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the opening of the new gateways would enable the control of entry of foreigners to be implemented more efficiently and effectively.

"The way forward after this is to have an engagement with the state governments, because it involves land acquisition and local authority approval.

"Immigration will focus on automated systems at new and existing entrances, so that waiting times can be sped up," he said.

(NST)