KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The government has sufficient flexibility to increase its Covid-19 allocation for next year to RM20 billion, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said, following criticism that its funding in Budget 2021 is insufficient.

In an interview published in the New Sunday Times today, Tengku Zafrul explained that the RM1 billion allocated specifically to fight the coronavirus epidemic in Malaysia was merely the current projection.

"This is the amount allocated, where RM31 billion under the 2021 Budget is additional funds for the health sector.

"We have the flexibility to increase the allocation for the Covid-19 fund to RM20 billion.

"At the moment, the projection is RM1 billion. The approved amount by the government is RM45 billion,” he was quoted saying.

Tengku Zafrul explained that half of the proposed RM20 billion would go to various financial assistance initiatives under the Kita Prihatin programme, and the other half will go directly towards combating Covid-19.

"We target half of the RM20 billion to go to initiatives under Kita Prihatin, and the other half of RM10 billion to Covid-19 or the procurement of a vaccine,” he was quoted saying.

Tengku Zafrul reiterated the government’s commitment to obtaining a vaccine for the virus.

"The government is committed to allocating funds to buy vaccines. We’ve discussed the matter with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and the Health Ministry on the RM3 billion allocated for 70 per cent of Malaysians,’’ he said.

Budget 2021 is the largest in Malaysian history, with RM322.5 billion allocated for the coming year.