Health, Education Issues Among Focus On First Day Of Budget 2026 Debate

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Issues related to health and education were among the focus on the first day of debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Government Backbenchers Club chairman Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) suggested that the government consider establishing the National Health and Social Insurance (NHSI) to provide complementary funds for the people's healthcare.

He said this was because the level of insurance and takaful coverage among Malaysians was still low, especially among the B40 group and the elderly.

“I am also concerned about the situation where only 54 per cent of the people have life insurance or takaful coverage according to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). Many of the B40 group and senior citizens are not covered, either due to high premiums or limited income.

“As a result, millions of people are still completely dependent on the public health system which is increasingly burdened,” he said.

Mohd Shahar said non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now contribute to 70 per cent of the burden of disease and 67 per cent of premature deaths, with prevalence increasing to 38.1 per cent in 2019 according to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS).

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (PN-Larut) stressed the need to strengthen integration between training institutions and industry in the implementation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Noting that the TVET allocation for 2026 has increased to RM7.9 billion, he however wanted integration and strategy between industry and training institutions in making TVET the mainstream of the country's economic development.

Therefore, Hamzah said Perikatan Nasional proposed that students be given the opportunity to set foot in the world of industry and to step into the job market with confidence based on real skills.

Ahmad Johnie Zawawi (GPS-Igan) also suggested that the Ministry of Education (MOE) implements the Dilapidated Schools Master Plan 2030 with a target of 100 schools being repaired and rebuilt every year.

He said that as of last July, there were 555 dilapidated schools in Sarawak, including 361 schools at level six, which is not suitable for use, and 194 schools at scale seven, which are not safe to use.

The conference continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA