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Key Highlights
Anwar gets creative with budget numbers
Free university: Govt takes first step
'M'sian' footballer returns to Argentina
Anwar gets creative with budget numbers
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reframed how the federal government's annual budget is calculated last week.
Traditionally, the budget amount is how much the government plans to spend on operations and development.
In the case of Budget 2026, this is RM419.2 billion - slightly smaller than the allocation for Budget 2025.
However, Anwar, in his budget speech, said the amount is RM470 billion. This is because he is also factoring in "investments" from GLCs, statutory bodies, and public-private initiatives totalling RM50.8 billion in his calculations.
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Free university: Govt takes first step
One of the highlights of Budget 2026 is that the government will be providing free higher education - paid for by the PTPTN - to students from households earning less than RM2,700 per month.
It's the first step towards a pledge Pakatan Harapan made in 2017 to make higher education free for all.
Meanwhile, PTPTN borrowers from low and middle-income families who graduate with first-class honours will not have to repay their loans.
As for defaulters who can afford repayments but have not been doing so, the government is reinstating the travel blacklist.
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'M'sian' footballer returns to Argentina
One of Malaysia’s disputed “heritage” footballers has returned to his country of origin.
Imanol Javier Machuca is back in Argentina to rejoin his club, Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, according to Argentine media.
Machuca is on a 12-month suspension after Fifa red-carded the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) over alleged doctored documents.
FAM had allegedly submitted documents claiming one of Machuca's grandparents was born in Penang. Fifa - citing original documents - disputed this.
The Argentine's homecoming came just days after Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended giving him and six other "heritage players" Malaysian citizenship.
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