Omna says data that offer a breakdown according to age, disability, education and income will help government bodies allocate necessary funds to these groups. Photo: Filepic
The government should address inequalities impacting Malaysians in today's tabling of Budget 2025, says Engender Consultancy founder and managing director Omna Sreeni-Ong.
“There has to be solutions that result in transformative change... Malaysians need to have equitable distribution of resources to help strengthen the nation and its people,” she adds.
“Although the Madani Economy framework is a system based on conscience, there is still insufficient information provided on how these efforts truly affect and improve the lives of the people.”
One of Omna’s recommendations include the government stepping up inter-agency coordination and impact assessments of budgetary expenditures to have a clearer understanding of the measures’ efficacy and sustainability.
“An efficient monitoring system will allow government ministries to identify any new problems and obstacles to take remedial action that yields desired results.”
In addition, government organisations should increase their expertise in gender data collection and analysis to guarantee that funds are allocated to overlooked, marginalised groups.
“Although there are data included in the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and other ministerial publications, they do not adequately represent the issues faced by all the different groups – women and men’s access to health or issues facing the elderly in rural and urban areas – within the population,” Omna says.
Data that offer a wider breakdown according to age, disability, education and income, will help establish a better understanding of the diverse realities faced by Malaysians. This will allow government bodies to allocate the necessary funds to these groups, she says.
Disabled kids and single mothers
In addition to these suggestions, the government should also look into the treatment of children who are born with disabilities.
Although RM30mil was allocated in Budget 2024 for infrastructure accessible to the disabled and special education, no specifications are provided on the distribution and purchase of equipment that are specifically designed to support children with physical disabilities.
“It would be better if special education experts were consulted to identify the specific needs and appropriate types of equipment meant for children with different disabilities, so that they can achieve greater independence,” Omna says.
Legal aid for single mothers is also something Budget 2025 can include as legal assistance designed to assist this group is often slow and expensive.
“This type of support was created to ease the burden of single mothers, specifically those who don’t earn much, but it is often overlooked because the organisations are often short-staffed,” Omna explains.
In order to expand personnel, appropriate budgetary allocation is needed.
This is why a gender responsive budget (GRB) is needed as it ensures a gender-equitable distribution of resources.
“Not only does the GRB inform us of the allocation of resources, it also provides an insight into the priorities this country has,” she says.
In August 2024, these recommendations were brought to the Budget 2025 Roundtable.
“I think it is important for us to integrate these insights and recommendations because leaders can make decisions that promote fairness and inclusivity for all Malaysian communities,” Omna says.
“I hope to see a strong statement from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when it comes to the allocation of funds regarding these sectors because I believe that it will contribute to a just and equitable society,” she concludes.
