Budget 2027 debate dominates Dewan Rakyat as MPs tackle haze, health and school safety

In the second week of its session, the Dewan Rakyat focused on debating the Supply (Budget) Bill 2027, addressing current issues such as haze, health, education, and the cost of living.

Key discussions included raising special grants for Sabah and Sarawak, establishing an ASEAN task force on haze, and enhancing emergency health services.

Initiatives were also discussed to create job opportunities, stabilize essential goods prices, revive private housing projects, and assist paddy farmers.

The session also saw the approval of four MPs to the Parliamentary Services Council and the first reading of the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2026.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2027 was the main focus of the Dewan Rakyat in the second week of the Third Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament, alongside current issues such as haze, health, education and school safety, as well as the cost of living.

A total of 75 government and opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) debated the Supply Bill 2027 at the policy stage over four days, beginning Monday (Oct 12), following the tabling of Budget 2027 by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on October 9.

During the debate, Sabah and Sarawak MPs welcomed the increase in interim special grants to the two states from RM600 million to RM1.5 billion, but called for the final formula to be settled and for clarification on Sabah’s entitlement to 40 per cent of the federal government’s net revenue derived from the state.

Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) proposed the permanent establishment of an Asean Special Task Force on Forest and Land Fires (Karhutla), involving Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, to address the transboundary haze crisis. He also proposed legal action to claim compensation if Indonesia refused to accept the assistance.

Welfare issues also came under the spotlight, with Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor (PN-Ketereh) urging the government to expedite the resolution of pension adjustments for Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans who retired before January 1, 2013.

Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) stressed that school safety and bullying must not be taken lightly. He proposed a special allocation to train teachers to identify early signs of emotional distress and potential violence among students, while ensuring that every school had an adequate number of counsellors and structured psychological assessment programmes for early intervention.

During the oral question-and-answer session, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the procurement of 400 new ambulances would enhance emergency response capabilities for critical cases. He said his ministry had also increased medical equipment supplies to address the effects of haze, including 841 adult AeroChamber inhaler spacers, 396 units for children and 576 nebulisers.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the government aimed to create 500,000 job opportunities through initiatives involving artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation and automation, while expanding high-growth, high-value industries and strategic sectors.

He said the government would also continue to stabilise the prices of essential goods through law enforcement, Jualan Rahmah Madani and Jualan Agro Madani, following the implementation of the RM2,000 minimum wage from June 2027.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said 1,726 private housing projects involving 199,643 units, with a gross development value of RM158 billion, had been successfully revived as of August through the efforts of the Task Force on Sick and Abandoned Private Housing Projects.

In the agriculture sector, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the government would look into targeted assistance for paddy farmers who suffered lower yields due to delays in fertiliser supplies, to identify those who had genuinely incurred losses.

Meanwhile, the Minister’s Question Time (MQT) session on Tuesday, during which the Prime Minister is scheduled to answer questions raised by MPs, was answered by the relevant ministers as the Prime Minister was attending an event at Istana Negara.

During the Special Chamber session, Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said the transboundary haze, which had affected the country’s air quality since August 8, was expected to gradually subside over the next two weeks due to changing wind patterns during the monsoon transition period.

On Wednesday, the Dewan Rakyat also approved the appointment of four MPs — Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor), Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (BN-Simpang Renggam), Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) and Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) — to the Parliamentary Services Council through a voice vote without debate.

The week’s sitting also saw the first reading of the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 2026 on Thursday, which, among other things, proposed amending Section 2 of Act 257 to redefine “child” by lowering the age limit from 21 to 18.

According to the Dewan Rakyat calendar, the policy-stage debate on Budget 2027 runs from October 12 to 22, followed by a four-day winding-up session by the relevant ministers beginning October 26.

The current Dewan Rakyat sitting will run for 37 days until December 8. — Bernama

Jais confirms two arrests in alleged khalwat case involving public figure

Johor’s Pasir Gudang records API 207, highest nationwide as 30 areas hit unhealthy levels

Coroner’s Court sets Jan 15, 2027 for verdict in Zara Qairina inquest

在会期第二周，下议院重点讨论了 2027 年供应（预算）法案，并探讨了雾霾、健康、教育和生活成本等当前问题。

主要讨论内容包括为沙巴和砂拉越筹集专项拨款、成立东盟雾霾问题工作组以及加强紧急医疗服务。

双方还讨论了创造就业机会、稳定必需品价格、振兴私人住房项目以及帮助稻农的举措。

本次会议还批准了四名议员加入议会服务委员会，并进行了 2026 年收养（修正）法案的一读。

吉隆坡，10 月 16 日讯——在第十五届国会第五届会议第三次会议的第二周，国会下议院的主要议题是 2027 年供应（预算）法案的辩论，此外还讨论了雾霾、健康、教育和学校安全以及生活成本等当前问题。

在首相兼财政部长拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣于 10 月 9 日提交 2027 年财政预算案后，从星期一（10 月 12 日）开始，共有 75 名政府和反对党国会议员在政策阶段对 2027 年财政拨款法案进行了为期四天的辩论。

在辩论中，沙巴和砂拉越的国会议员对两州临时特别拨款从 6 亿令吉增加到 15 亿令吉表示欢迎，但呼吁确定最终方案，并澄清沙巴有权获得联邦政府从该州获得的净收入的 40%。

林冠英（希望联盟-峇眼）提议设立一个常设的东盟森林和土地火灾特别工作组（卡胡特拉工作组），成员包括马来西亚、新加坡、菲律宾和印度尼西亚，以应对跨境烟霾危机。他还提议，如果印度尼西亚拒绝接受援助，将采取法律行动要求赔偿。

福利问题也成为关注焦点，拿督克里尔·莫哈末·诺（国盟-吉打里）敦促政府加快解决在 2013 年 1 月 1 日之前退休的马来西亚武装部队老兵的养老金调整问题。

拉姆卡帕尔·辛格（希望联盟-武吉格鲁格尔）强调，校园安全和校园欺凌问题不容忽视。他提议拨出专项资金，培训教师识别学生情绪困扰和潜在暴力行为的早期迹象，同时确保每所学校都配备足够数量的心理咨询师和结构化的心理评估项目，以便及早干预。

在口头问答环节，卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里·阿末表示，采购400辆新救护车将提升应对危重病例的紧急救援能力。他还表示，卫生部已增加医疗设备供应，以应对雾霾的影响，其中包括841个成人用AeroChamber吸入器储雾罐、396个儿童用储雾罐和576台雾化器。

经济部长阿克马尔·纳斯鲁拉·莫哈末·纳西尔表示，政府的目标是通过人工智能、数字化和自动化等举措创造 50 万个就业机会，同时扩大高增长、高价值的产业和战略部门。

他表示，政府还将从 2027 年 6 月起实施 2000 令吉的最低工资标准，并继续通过执法、“善待商品销售计划”（Jualan Rahmah Madani）和“农业商品销售计划”（Jualan Agro Madani）来稳定必需品的价格。

房屋及地方政府部长倪可敏表示，截至8月，在废弃私人房屋项目工作组的努力下，已有1726个私人房屋项目（涉及199643个单位，总开发价值达1580亿令吉）成功恢复。

农业及粮食安全部长拿督斯里莫哈末沙布表示，政府将研究如何有针对性地援助因化肥供应延迟而导致产量下降的水稻种植户，以确定哪些种植户确实遭受了损失。

与此同时，原定于周二举行的部长质询时间（MQT）会议，由于首相正在国家皇宫出席活动，因此由相关部长回答了议员们提出的问题。

在特别议会会议上，自然资源和环境可持续发展部副部长赛义德·易卜拉欣·赛义德·诺表示，自 8 月 8 日以来影响该国空气质量的跨境雾霾，预计将在未来两周内因季风过渡期风向变化而逐渐消退。

周三，下议院还通过未经辩论的语音投票批准任命四名国会议员——兰卡巴星（PH-武吉牛汝莪）、拿督斯里哈斯尼穆罕默德（BN-新邦令金）、拿督斯里罗纳德建迪博士（PN-Beluran）和拿督斯里达基尤丁哈山（PN-哥打巴鲁）进入议会服务理事会。

本周的会议还在周四对《2026 年收养（修正）法案》进行了首次宣读，该法案除其他事项外，提议修改第 257 号法令第 2 条，将“儿童”的年龄限制从 21 岁降低到 18 岁，从而重新定义“儿童”。

根据下议院的日程安排，2027 年财政预算案的政策阶段辩论将于 10 月 12 日至 22 日举行，随后相关部长将于 10 月 26 日开始进行为期四天的总结会议。

目前的下议院会议将持续 37 天，直到 12 月 8 日为止。 — Bernama

贾伊斯证实，在涉嫌涉及公众人物的“卡尔瓦特”案件中，已有两人被捕。

柔佛州巴西古当的空气污染指数（API）高达207，为全国最高，全国30个地区的空气质量指数达到不健康水平。

验尸法庭将扎拉·凯里娜死因调查的宣判日期定于2027年1月15日。