Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says billions recovered from corruption and illicit proceeds through court action will be channelled into education and healthcare.
PUTRAJAYA: Billions of ringgit seized from illicit proceeds through legal action and court decisions will be channelled back to the people, particularly to fund education and healthcare, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Anwar said the move was in line with the Government’s principle that wealth recovered from corruption, abuse of power and other unlawful activities should ultimately benefit the rakyat.
“If there are actions to seize wealth through court decisions over excesses, corruption and abuse of power amounting to billions of ringgit, I declare today that all funds seized from illicit proceeds through legal processes and court decisions will be returned, especially for education and the people’s healthcare,” he said in his Merdeka address here today.
He said the move was part of the Government’s broader efforts to ensure economic growth and national resources benefited Malaysians.
However, Anwar acknowledged that the Government had yet to meet the “sky-high” expectations of the people, saying there were still weaknesses and shortcomings that needed to be addressed.
“I acknowledge and am conscious that the people’s expectations are sky-high.
“Often, our capabilities, although we work as a team and do our best, still have limitations and do not fulfil all the people’s expectations,” he said.
Anwar said the Government must continue addressing areas where weaknesses remained while maintaining economic stability and strengthening governance.
He also urged Malaysians to recognise measures that had already been implemented rather than focusing solely on what had yet to be delivered.
“We must accept criticism and suggestions, but we should not deny what has been done,” he said.
Anwar pointed to targeted assistance and subsidies introduced by the Government, including BUDI95 and diesel subsidies, which he said had benefited M40 and T20 households.
He said the Government was spending about RM40 billion on the two fuel subsidy programmes.
On the economy, Anwar said Malaysia recorded 6% growth in the second quarter of 2026, while approved investments and total trade reached their highest levels since independence.
He attributed the performance to efforts to strengthen the country’s economic fundamentals, improve governance, restore fiscal discipline, curb leakages, expedite approvals and rebuild investor confidence.
However, he stressed that the achievements did not mean all of the country’s problems had been resolved.
“We do not assume that we have solved all the problems,” he said, adding that further measures were needed to address the concerns of Malaysians.
