Vietnamplus

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government will work to gradually reduce the national debt and budget deficit, without resorting to raising taxes that hurt the poor.

Malaysia's national debt including liabilities has reached 1.5 trillion RM (346 billion USD), equivalent to over 80% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), according to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysia’s total debt, including offshore and other borrowings, amounts to 879.6 billion RM (213.7 billion USD), equivalent to 62 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), according to Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz.

A training course on sustainable national debt management is taking place in Hanoi as part of Vietnam’s public debt management reform programme.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on April 4 that the country does not rule out the possibility of selling more assets, including land, to keep its national debt at a manageable level, local media reported.

Malaysia’s finance ministry said on May 30 that the government has set up a fund to let the public contribute to easing the country’s huge national debt.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced that his administration is taking various approaches to reduce the national debt from 1 trillion RM (251.2 billion USD) to 800 billion RM.