Budget 2027: Home, Defence Ministries each allocated RM22b

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The Home Ministry and Defence Ministry have each been allocated RM22 billion under Budget 2027, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said RM7.1 billion of the total allocation would be channelled to procure and maintain assets for the armed forces, police, and uniformed agencies under the Home Ministry.

He said the government had also agreed to build several new facilities, including the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Johor headquarters in Tanjung Kupang, the General Operations Force (GOF) 19th Battalion Complex in Cheras, the Keningau Immigration Office in Sabah, and three new police stations in Sungai Rambai, Melaka; Tanjung Malim, Perak; and Batu Lintang, Sri Aman, Sarawak.

“An allocation of RM490 million will be provided to the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), while security screening at airports will be tightened, including mandatory drug and alcohol tests for pilots and flight crew.

“A total of 48 new body and baggage scanners will be installed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport,” he said when tabling the budget themed “Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Ground”.

Anwar also said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had blocked more than 5.7 billion scam-related calls and SMS messages.

He said the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) would develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered application to enable the public to check suspicious phone numbers, bank accounts and links before making transactions, allowing scams and cybercrimes to be detected earlier.

“The Royal Malaysia Police’s D11 Division is also strengthening the Malaysia Internet Crime Against Children system, which is equipped with advanced analytical capabilities to detect perpetrators and child sexual exploitation networks at an earlier stage.

“The Safe Internet Campaign will also be intensified in all schools, with a focus on addressing cyberbullying and child exploitation,” he said. — Bernama