Anwar spent two hours poring over 95 pages of the national budget, drinking water once

DEWAN RAKYAT, 11 OCTOBER 2026 —

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers Budget 2027 in full, sipping water just once during two-hour reading of 95-page document

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stood for two hours in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, reading the entire 95-page Budget 2027 speech aloud without interruption, and only took a single sip of water during the session—marking the third consecutive year he has delivered the budget in this manner at the age of 79.

The meticulous delivery underscores Anwar’s commitment to transparency and continuity in fiscal policy, even as the government faces persistent fiscal challenges, including a projected deficit of 3.3% of GDP for 2027, down from a revised 3.6% in 2026 driven by higher fuel subsidy costs.

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Anwar’s approach to budget delivery has become a defining ritual of his tenure, reflecting both personal discipline and a deliberate rejection of abbreviated presentations. In October 2024, he read a 138-page Budget 2025 speech in two and a half hours, while Budget 2026, delivered the following year, was 130 pages long and took two hours.

This year’s document, at 95 pages, adhered to the same pattern, with the prime minister delivering the speech in full traditional attire—a light blue baju Melayu with songkok and samping—while standing throughout.

The speech was framed around the government’s Malaysia Madani vision, with Anwar invoking the Arabic term waad (promise or covenant) to describe the government’s obligations to the people as a Waad Nasional (National Promise). He also used the term lighad (tomorrow) to emphasize forward-looking commitments.

Anwar drew on classical references, including a Tamil sage and the Shangtang Kaishi Song, a Tang Dynasty Buddhist poem, to argue that sustained effort is necessary for long-term achievement, comparing it to the plum blossom’s need to endure cold before it becomes fragrant.

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Budget 2027, the fifth under the Madani government and the second within the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan framework, projects a fiscal deficit of 3.3% of GDP—equivalent to roughly RM77.5 billion—improving from the revised 2026 deficit of 3.6% (up from the original 3.5% target). The increase in 2026 was attributed to higher fuel subsidy costs, which rose to RM40 billion due to geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.

The budget outlines 10 priority areas, including narrowing regional development gaps, targeted cost-of-living assistance through Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Budi Madani, and strengthening social protection for gig workers ahead of Malaysia’s projected transition to an aged-nation status by 2030. The government has framed these measures as essential to maintaining economic stability while addressing structural challenges.

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The budget will now enter a rigorous parliamentary process, beginning with eight days of policy-level debates starting next week. Ministry-level winding-up sessions are scheduled from 26 to 29 October, followed by committee-stage debates from 2 to 26 November. The final vote in the Dewan Rakyat will be followed by a review in the Dewan Negara before receiving royal assent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Anwar’s delivery method—reading the entire document in full—has drawn attention both domestically and internationally, reinforcing perceptions of his meticulous approach to governance. However, the fiscal projections and policy priorities will face intense scrutiny, particularly given the persistent deficit pressures and the need to balance social spending with long-term economic sustainability.

The next substantive step in the process will be the opening of policy debates, where lawmakers will examine the budget’s allocations and implications in detail.

Related: Anwar Ibrahim · Dewan Rakyat