KUALA LUMPUR: The 2022 Budget clearly shows the government's commitment in ensuring the country's economic recovery by next year, said National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the budget that was tabled was a continuation of the Prihatin Rakyat concept, that would ensure all forms of assistance and support would reach the target groups, especially all parties and sectors severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is very important in ensuring that year 2022 will be the year of Malaysia's recovery," he said in a statement today.

Based on three main strategies, namely strengthening recovery, building resilience and driving reforms, Muhyiddin is confident that Budget 2022 will continue to strengthen recovery efforts under the on-going National Recovery Plan.

"This budget will support the country's recovery through fiscal policy expansion drafted based on priorities, for the country to recover from the long-term effects of the pandemic on public health system and the economic structure.

"This is a reflection of the government's determination to restore foreign investors' confidence in Malaysia as a major investment destination," he said

He said it was appropriate that the Ministry of Health was given the second biggest allocation to drive the country's recovery to the endemic phase and hoped the emphasis on the health sector could continue to strengthen the country's health system to face other pandemic challenges in the future.

Meanwhile he said, by giving the Education Ministry the biggest allocation of RM52.6 billion, it showed the government's priority was on human capital development and provision of facilities and access to learning, which was still a major problem for students in rural areas.

"I hope the funds allocated, for example for the repair of dilapidated schools, can be channeled to schools which are really in need and had never received government assistance.

"I call on all Malaysians to be united in ensuring that the country's recovery efforts will run smoothly so that we will be able to revive the economy and provide support for people's socio-economic wellbeing in realising Shared Prosperity Vision 2030," he said.

-- BERNAMA