KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 ― The welfare and wellbeing of civil servants have always been given attention and will not be forgotten in Budget 2022 which will be tabled at Dewan Rakyat by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz this Friday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the service of 1.6 million civil servants in the country has always been appreciated by the government and the general public.

“We truly appreciate the civil servants as they are important to nation development. Of course, we will not forget them...just wait for the tabling of Budget 2022,” he said when asked whether they will be any good news for the civil servants in Budget 2022 in the prime minister’s interview session with the media on Budget 2022 here today.

Two aspects that were given emphasis in the budget are job creation in both the public and the private sectors to address the issue of unemployment, and education which involves allocation for the educational institutions, not only for Sekolah Kebangsaan, but also Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Cina, SJK Tamil and Maahad Tahfiz.

Ismail Sabri said the job creation would also be for people from all walks of life, youth, the vulnerable and persons with disabilities (OKU).

“Almost 440,000 job placements and creation of income-earning opportunities have been successfully implemented through various initiatives at the ministry and government agency levels as of October 22,” he said.

The Prime Minister said success was mainly contributed by the Direct Hiring approach under the Penjana Kerjaya programme, Short-Term Employment Programme or MySTEP, and the National Apprentice Scheme involving an allocation of RM3.9 billion.

He said the country’s unemployment rate had also improved from its highest rate of 5.3 per cent recorded in May 2020 to 4.6 per cent in August this year as a result of relevant training provided by the government to improve marketability and equip the people with skills that meet the demands of the industry.

As such, Ismail Sabri called on the people to listen and pay attention to Tengku Zafrul’s speech this Friday to find out the benefits awaiting them in Budget 2022.

In the education sector, the Prime Minister said the government would continue to give emphasis on quality education and building the resilience of the national education system based on the experiences gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as on the aspect of study loan repayment.

He said Budget 2022 will also support the education sector which had been long affected by the closure of economic and social sectors, especially through the digitalisation agenda and the provision of educational facilities and assistance to the B40 group.

“What’s important is the immunisation for our children is running smoothly and this is one of the aspects that will determine the success of school reopening move, apart from the implementation of proper standard operating procedures,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said that old and dilapidated schools especially in rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak will not be left behind in Budget 2022 as allocation would be given to enable them to be repaired and upgraded to ensure that the students experience a proper and conducive learning environment.

He added that the budget will help Malaysian families in urban and rural areas to face the challenges of the rising cost of living amid Covid-19. ― Bernama