PUTRAJAYA, Aug 6 — The National Unity Ministry said today it is hoping to get just a RM290 million budget for next year from the federal government, down from over RM635 million for this year.

In the National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang's speech read out by his deputy K. Saraswathy, the ministry said it had outlined its priorities through five initiatives for the proposed RM290 million budget for the Finance Ministry's consideration:

The minister urged the Finance Ministry to consider this application for funding, as the 12th Malaysia Plan had targeted for the National Unity Index (IPNas) to hit a score of 0.7 per cent by 2025.

Previously, Malaysia's first IPNas score in 2018 was at 0.567, which then improved to 0.629 in 2022. The IPNas scale is from 0.0 to 1.00, and has four categories, namely weak, low, moderate (0.50 to 0.74) and high (0.75 to 1.00).

He said the carrying out of various programmes are important to establish a base for integration that can increase interaction among Malaysians of various races and religions.

Saraswathy read out the speech at the Everly Hotel here when officiating the ministry's engagement session with stakeholders to collect proposals for Budget 2025 for unity efforts.

In Budget 2024, the federal government reportedly allocated RM635.82 million to the National Unity Ministry.

According to the national unity minister's speech today, the ministry was in Budget 2024 allocated RM40 million for the flagship programme of Kembara Perpaduan Malaysia Madani for the unity week celebration, exploration of Rukun Negara, Ini Warisan Kita, Citra Nusa Muzium, Harmoni Madani and unity promotion.

His speech also said Budget 2024 had involved a RM20 million allocation to enhance KRT's role as a social reference to provide services and share information and cultivate unity within the community.

Other agencies placed under the ministry are the National Archives of Malaysia, the Department of Museums Malaysia, the National Library of Malaysia, Yayasan Tun Razak, Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to table Budget 2025 in Parliament on October 18.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/06/the-national-unity-ministry-wants-just-rm290m-in-budget-2025-heres-what-it-wants-to-spend-the-money-on/146164