On the day the government tabled its Budget 2027 before the Dewan Rakyat, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng offered a measured verdict from outside the cabinet's chambers: that this was the most reform-minded of the five budgets Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has presented under the Madani banner. Such judgments often arrive as applause, yet his praise carries an appeal woven through it, asking that the nation's shared resources be divided with greater evenness across its communities. Whether that request finds its place in the months of parliamentary debate ahead remains an open question that the budget
Lim Guan Eng Hails Budget 2027 as Anwar's 'Most Reform-Minded' Yet, but Presses for More Bumiputera Equity
On the day the government tabled its Budget 2027 before the Dewan Rakyat, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng offered a measured verdict from outside the cabinet's chambers: that this was the most reform-minded of the five budgets Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has presented under the Madani banner. Such judgments often arrive as applause, yet his praise carries an appeal woven through it, asking that the nation's shared resources be divided with greater evenness across its communities. Whether that request finds its place in the months of parliamentary debate ahead remains an open question that the budget itself has not yet answered.
On the day Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled the Supply Bill for 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng posted his response on Facebook. He called it the most reform-minded budget of the five Anwar has delivered under the Madani banner, and he pointed to three steps that pleased him: wider safety nets covering gig workers, persons with disabilities and senior citizens; more inclusive funding; and tax rate changes meant to correct past injustices.
He framed all of this as a beginning. In his view, further reforms should ease cost of living pressures, support micro, small and medium enterprises, and leave households with more to spend, all in pursuit of prosperity for everyone.
Then came his qualification. He proposed that 10 per cent of total Bumiputera allocations be directed to non-Bumiputera communities, with existing Bumiputera funding left intact. He argued that previous governments had neglected these communities, though that is his characterisation rather than a finding in the report. The statement gives no ringgit amount and no detail on how the share would work.
Lim's remarks combine praise with a pointed request, coming from a senior figure in a party inside the government. Whether the 10 per cent idea gains support during debate, and whether the broader reforms he hopes for follow, is still to be seen.
On the day Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled the Supply Bill (Budget) 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat, DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng put out a statement on Facebook. His verdict: this was the "most reform-minded" budget of the five Anwar has presented under the Madani banner.
Lim, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bagan, named the measures behind that judgment. The first is an expansion of the social safety net to cover gig workers, persons with disabilities and senior citizens. The second is more inclusive funding allocations. The third is an adjustment to personal income tax rates, which he said addresses past injustices. He called all three steps in the right direction.
His praise was framed as a beginning, not an arrival. Lim described the measures as initial steps that give hope for more substantial and meaningful reforms to come. In his telling, those reforms would contain cost of living increases, create sustainable economic growth, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and leave Malaysian households with more money to spend. The goal, as he put it, is prosperity for all.
Then came the qualification. Lim said more still needed to be done, and he made a specific proposal: allocate 10 per cent of total Bumiputera allocations to non-Bumiputera communities, without reducing existing Bumiputera funding. He argued this would distribute taxpayers' money more fairly and equitably to non-Bumiputera communities, which he claimed previous governments had neglected. That claim is his own characterisation, not a finding established in the report.
The proposal is worded with care. It leaves current Bumiputera funding untouched and asks for the 10 per cent to be drawn from the total Bumiputera allocations. The statement gives no ringgit figure for what the share would amount to, and it does not say how it would be structured.
The budget Lim was responding to carries the theme "Malaysia Madani: Menggapai di Langit, Mengakar di Bumi," or "Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Ground." It is the second budget under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), the national development framework covering 2026 to 2030.
Lim's remarks therefore mix endorsement with a pointed request, coming from a senior figure in DAP, a party within the government's own camp. What remains to be seen is whether the 10 per cent proposal gains traction as the budget moves through debate, and whether the further reforms he hopes for follow.
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Politics & Governance