Budget 2025: Young professionals eye major reforms

YOUNG professionals from various sectors are expressing their hopes for key reforms targeting healthcare, housing, education and economic growth.

They hope to see these changes reflected in Budget 2025, to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat this Friday, and for them to have a long-term impact on Malaysia’s future.

Clinical cardiologist Dr Esteban Chin calls for healthcare reforms that would go beyond infrastructure.

His concerns lie in ensuring that healthcare workers are fairly compensated for their hard work.

“On-call allowances should be based on workload rather than a flat rate,” he told The Borneo Post in Kuching.

Dr Chin also made the call for a higher healthcare budget to address patient treatment needs and new incentives for high-performing healthcare professionals.

For 33-year-old strategic communications manager Hassnal Hakim, the budget should focus on affordable housing, skills development and improved support for entrepreneurship.

“Prioritising green jobs and public transportation would also help create a sustainable future for our generation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mona Abdul Manap, a 39-year-old professional congress organiser, expressed her hope for the budget would steer the country towards a ‘wealth-based economy’.

“Sarawak is forging ahead with many developmental goals, and the budget would certainly reflect that. However, my hope is that we move towards a wealth economy, where we focus equally on social, human and nature capital, not just economic capital,” she said.

Nur Shazreena Ali, a press secretary, highlighted her concerns about education and the rising cost of living.

She hoped that the federal government would focus on creating more employment opportunities for the young people and encouraging them to pursue further education.

“Another concern is whether the government plans to reintroduce GST (Goods and Services Tax) or adjust the SST (Sales, Services Tax), given the rising cost of living,” she said.

Nur Shazreena also expressed hoped for a clear mechanism to ensure the targeted subsidies would reach those in need, along with increased financial assistance for those in the vulnerable groups.