Issues of concern Is security of data and handover of MyKad to enjoy this benefits.

If they want to continue the digitalisation steamroll of govt services, as he said, accessibility is key because its the systematically marginalised communities that needs the benefits of this subsidies.

akan di BINA - we must insist that all new construction should integrate Universal Design

Kemudahan Asas - Membaik pulih kerosakan Lif - this is a good initiative but it should also be coupled with greater awareness of the PPR community in upkeep of the apartment complex and its amenities - PWDC's GRPB initiative is a good example of community led programmes to maintain their neighbourhood

Has Universal Design been instituted in all areas of the airports?

Doris Padmini Selvaratnam, UKM

All airports need to reflect the larger women composition. Most airports are old and often the washrooms are closed for more than a month (ie in KK) with no alternative temporary cubicles. In fact all building must have more female washrooms. Regardless in urban or rural location. In fact many restaurants also do not have proper washrooms.

My previous engagement with TVET centre show that the scheduled courses are not popular for Orang Asli as location is far. So ad hoc short term courses are run for them ie 1/2 day or 1 day. (Doris Padmini Selvaratnam, UKM)

What efforts are going to be made to ensure women entrepreneurs gain meaningful access to this budget?

Yuenwah San,The OKU Rights Matter Project
Especially the women aspiring to start or already running small & medium enterprises. 

Beatrice
I would reframe this to ask, how is the entire RM50bn be made accessible to women in their diverse intersectionalities and identities

Robert Hii

The last two three budgets had a blanket fund for school improvement that included the toilets

Blind person scammed, blind person need to go all the way to the bank, make a report, on a form that’s not accessible across board. BN system also not friendly to disabled,

RM3,000 pelepasan cukai for childcare in early years? Is he aware of how much it cost in urban areas where this is most needed? Not realistic and yet wages for women at workforce is not competitive. Why not tag on to company employing women returning to work to provide for these at work? and incentivise companies instead, better approach and wider impact.

Also most women here don’t reach taxable threshold.

Omna

We've mentioned time and again that tax exemption does not benefit the very community (B40) who need the subsidies and community based child care

Yes to raising from RM6,000 to RM10000, reflects inflation adjustments and true cost of OKU intervention services from private sector.

Robert Hii

Dedicated disability agents are known to be more effective for access

Over enhancing literacy

while this is a need,

Is this programme also packaged with other accompanying empowerment programmes (upskilling, support services, job placement) and offered to the same beneficiaries to reduce welfare dependence, and empower them to prepare for and find meaningful livelihoods?

What has been the learning from the previous People’s Income Initiative (IPR)  programme that showed initial good outcomes? Has IPR been scaled up?

SURAYA (PurpleLily)

SARA - what about breakdown according to gender?

Omna

yes including female, elder and OKU headed households. it is important to have a more intersectional disaggregation to reflect how the provisions are targeting the farthest left behind

Increase funding, number and coverage of Pusat Aktiviti Warga Emas (PAWE) under Department of Social Welfare (JKM). Currently there are only 164 PAWE centres across the country with as few as 13 in Sarawak.  More PAWE centres should be set up (1 in every neighbourhood)  with training and monitoring to ensure safety and quality standards are in place.

2.       Alternative to PAWE Government can facilitate affordable community-based care programs that provide personalized care in neighborhoods; such programs can reduce reliance on institutional care while creating job opportunities in senior care

3.       Senior-responsive home modifications

Implement and expand social welfare assistance schemes including financial aid, subsidies for home repairs/modifications, and provision of assistive devices and technologies for seniors to facilitate independent living.

Allocations for OKU Training, to now be shared with training of care workers. What does this detail or imply? Train OKU as care workers? Or are we not facing OKU budget being shared with care workers training from non-OKU?

Vicky Chan

When the current govt. came to power , they reduced the aid to low-income individuals (those living alone without families) and individual OKU  by half from rm100 to rm50.  Will this forgotten  group of abandoned single OKU, Widow/widower seniors group  be given more $- to pay utilities, rent, assistive tools etc, since these B40 are  without any family support.

And don’t pass the buck to private GPs.

Sorry, students should not need to work to tampung Kos pendidikan. That’s not a sound solution.

Scholarships of RM120bn from PTPN to IPTA, but year after year after year, UPU system remove autistic kids from their dream courses.

Omna

IPTA scholarships for children from B40 Households - what would be the criteria and how will this measure manage equitable and inclusive access. Remember SDG tagline - Leave No One Behind by Reaching the Farthest FIRST

For Susah dapat persekolahan is a big thing for OKU, why no ring fenced budget to help them get an education?

Not much details on aging initiatives

Beatrice Leong

I’m also worried the care homes is put under waqaf land

Preemptive question, this looks like the most expensive budget. What guarantees that impact will be assessed and equitable

Beatrice Leong

This budget seems to be made to boost investor/FDI confidence, alot of focus on capital growth. Socially conservative, not using social development as macroeconomic variables.

I feel we are trading human capital and social resilience away for capital injections. Feels like going to chokehold national talents. While I think it’ll boost GDP, and hit his goal or lowering fiscal debt - but I don’t feel its MADANI at all..

Omna

Yes - The National Budget is one of the most important policy instruments of the government to steer the nation and meet the needs of the people. It not only informs us about the allocation of resources but also provides an insight into the national priorities.

Why 1.2bn for electricity in Sabah when that sort of investment, can take on technology from Sarawak who leads in using hydrogen powered electricity.

Why go fix more of what’s harming the land and finite resources of petroleum when we can expand that for Ssbah drawing from how Sarawak had found successes in?

Robert Hii

This has largely to do with energy sufficiency. When bakun and baram were built, the energy production only went to swak compared to what they said capable of powering more. The alternative methods like hydrogen arent actually good for power creation yet, and sabah really needs some self sufficiency in that regard

We need disability-inclusive accessible public information on all aspects of the Budget via all government websites & portals that must conform with international accesssibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.2).