PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s future must be measured not merely by how much the government spends or the infrastructure it builds, but by the nation it leaves behind for future generations, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in an impassioned closing address to Budget 2027.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, stressed that national development must go beyond economic figures, technological advancement and towering landmarks, warning that progress would be meaningless if the country lost sight of its values and long-term aspirations.
“We are not building a nation for one fiscal year. We are building a nation for a generation.
“And the duty of a generation is not merely to enjoy what it has inherited, but to expand what can be passed on,” he said when concluding his Budget 2027 speech in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Drawing inspiration from ancient Greek poet Homer’s The Odyssey, Anwar likened Malaysia’s development journey to that of Odysseus, who endured storms, temptations and hardship but never lost sight of his ultimate destination, Ithaca.
He said Malaysia, too, must remain guided by a clear sense of purpose, regardless of how much it achieves economically or technologically, while safeguarding the values, identity and aspirations that define the nation.
Anwar said Budget 2027 was not the end of Malaysia’s development journey, but another step towards building a more prosperous and just nation, guided by the principle of intergenerational responsibility.
He also invoked the concept of Waad Nasional, or national covenant, as a commitment to ensuring that political power remains bound by accountability, national wealth benefits the wider population and every generation leaves behind a better Malaysia.
“This covenant is also a reminder that development is not the work of the government alone. It is a collective endeavour,” he said, stressing that the government, citizens and society must work together through knowledge, creativity and determination to shape the country’s future.
Budget 2027, themed ‘Malaysia Madani: Menggapai di Langit, Mengakar di Bumi, carries a total allocation of RM459.8 billion, up 3.6% from the revised 2026 budget, with RM376.8 billion earmarked for operating expenditure and RM83 billion for development.
