PUTRAJAYA: Budget 2025 will empower the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in strengthening Malaysia’s interests and expanding its influence on international platforms as the ASEAN Chair in 2025.
In welcoming Budget 2025 presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would ensure that efforts to bolster and safeguard the nation’s strategic interests on various global issues continue.
“Wisma Putra (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) remains committed to strengthening Malaysia’s interests and expanding its role through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy on the international stage.
“This includes issues related to regional peace, sustainable development, the South China Sea issue, the Palestine-Israel conflict, food security, and climate change,” it said in a statement yesterday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been allocated RM1.76 billion for 2025 under the Budget 2025, compared to the RM1.126 billion allocated for this year.
According to the ministry, Malaysia will fully utilise its chairmanship of ASEAN, themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, to ensure the region’s stability, security, and prosperity are safeguarded, promote intra-ASEAN trade and investment, and improve the socio-economic standing of its people.
“In this regard, Wisma Putra will ensure that the RM560 million allocated for the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 is used effectively to steer ASEAN’s direction and showcase Malaysia’s leadership, so that the ASEAN Community remains united, inclusive, sustainable, and thrives despite facing regional and global challenges,” the statement added.
It said that Budget 2025 provides a positive boost to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance its people-centric services with transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness, in addition to empowering the ministry’s human capital.
This includes strengthening the capacity of consular assistance, encompassing the delivery of consular services to Malaysians and providing humanitarian aid to Malaysians affected by disasters or stranded abroad.
“The ministry supports Budget 2025, which reflects the Government’s continuous efforts to drive the country’s economic growth and revitalise Malaysia’s economy to become a leading economy in Asia.
“Wisma Putra is confident that Budget 2025 will catalyse Malaysia’s economic reforms and, subsequently, strengthen and elevate Malaysia’s standing in the eyes of the world,” it said.
Budget 2025, the largest in the nation’s history, focuses on stimulating the economy, mastering innovation, and ensuring a fairer and more equitable distribution of wealth.
