KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry received the biggest allocation in the 2023 Budget with RM55.2 billion being set aside this year as compared to the RM52.6 billion allocated in 2022.
This was followed by the Health Ministry, which received RM36.3 billion in allocation this year as compared to the RM32.4 billion in the last budget.
When giving the breakdown of items in the education sector, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said RM2.3 billion of the overall was dedicated to ensuring best learning infrastructure at all schools.
This included RM920 million to upgrade buildings and infrastructure in 380 dilapidated schools, especially in Sabah and Sarawak via special funds for immediate implementation.
Another RM900 million will be for maintenance of national, religious, and Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools.
"This will include funds for repairs of toilets, wiring, drainage and replacement of furniture and damaged equipment in classrooms and hostels.
"Seven schools will be built at a cost of RM560 million including SK Paya Dusun, Terengganu; SMK Denai Alam, Selangor; SMK Nabalu, Sabah, and SMK Dudong, Sarawak," he said when tabling the 2023 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar said the allocation for nutritious cooked meals under the Supplementary Food Programme will be increased from RM89 million to RM108 million, benefitting 240,000 pre-school students.
He said the government will also supply 50,000 laptop computers to schools and educational institutions.
Meanwhile, the RM36.3 billion under the Health Ministry primarily comprises allocations for medicines, vaccine reagents and other equipment.
He said RM3 billion is for the recruitment of more than 1,500 permanent and contract positions for medical, dentistry, pharmaceutical officers.
Anwar said the government will resolve the issue of congestion at public healthcare facilities by outsourcing patients from congested facilities to other hospitals, while also roping in university and military hospitals.
"The government will implement schemes involving university and military hospitals, which are agreeable to it. They will help reduce congestion at facilities such as Selayang Hospital."
Anwar said the MADANI Medical Scheme catered for the poor to obtain treatment at private clinics is being set up by the Selangor government.
He said RM120 million was being allocated to allow people to obtain treatment for non-serious cases at private clinics and healthcare facilities.
The government is building a 476 bed capacity women and children's block costing almost RM700 million at the Melaka Hospital.
"We will upgrade 26 hospitals, and this includes the expansion of Kuala Kangsar Hospital, Jelebu Hospital and Pontian Hospital, which is a century-old facility."
Anwar said the government was expanding the scope of tax exemptions for medical treatment from RM8,000 to RM10,000 beginning the 2023 taxation year.
He said the exemptions will now include nerve-related condition, autism, Down Syndrome and Specific Learning Disabilities.
Meanwhile, the government is allocating RM15.3 billion to the Higher Education Ministry under the 2023 Budget, which is an increase from RM14.5 billion it received last year.
Anwar said from that amount, RM436 million is for improving infrastructure and replacing damaged equipment at public institutes of higher learning.