Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the budget also focused on efforts to empower the role of big companies, as well as the small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country.

“They (big companies and SMEs) need to focus on and be given chances to explore new technologies and digitalisation so as to be more competitive and able to create more job opportunities,” he said at the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia’s (Acccim) Chinese New Year open house here.

Also present were DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook and Acccim president Low Kian Chuan.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, added that the government would also look into environmental issues, as well as the possibility of introducing clearer and fresher economic policies that will be beneficial to all.

“The current situation — after the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic recession in Europe and the impact of the Ukraine-Russia war — demands us to be bolder in introducing policies that can benefit us all,” he said.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said all suggestions from stakeholders, including Acccim, would be taken into consideration before the tabling of the revised budget.

“The memorandum received from Acccim alone was quite thick. So many issues were raised in there, but it really helped us.

“Even during the recent dialogue, we have taken note of several suggestions and hopefully, we will address them all in Budget 2023,” he said.

Anwar is scheduled to table the budget in Parliament on Feb 24.