PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that billions of ringgit in funds and assets seized through legal proceedings involving illegal activities and corruption will be returned to the public, with priority given to strengthening Malaysia’s education and healthcare sectors.
For education, the government will increase maintenance funding for all types of schools by 50 per cent, from RM1 billion to RM1.5 billion. The allocation covers national schools, Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools, religious schools, tahfiz and pondok institutions, as well as special education facilities. Infrastructure improvement works are expected to begin as early as next month.
In healthcare, Anwar said RM1 billion will be provided through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to strengthen digital capabilities. This includes electronic medical records and better internet connectivity across 150 public hospitals and more than 2,000 health clinics, with the aim of speeding up treatment and reducing patient waiting times.
Anwar made the announcement during his 69th National Day Address, stressing that money recovered from corruption and other illegal activities should ultimately be used to benefit ordinary Malaysians. The government also announced several other initiatives that will take effect from September 1, 2026.
