The Prime Minister mentioned the word Heritage only once in his 2017 budget speech, reveals our search for the word in the text of the speech.
Heritage was mentioned as part of new measures aimed at stimulating the tourism industry :
[item 197 of the speech]: ” (…) The Government will further emphasise on promoting and improving tourism facilities. Therefore (…) Increase in tax deduction from RM500,000 to RM700,000 will be given to encourage sponsorship by the private sector in local and foreign arts, culture and heritage shows and performances. [source: FULL TEXT: PM Najib Razak’s 2017 Budget speech New Straits Times online, 21 Oct. 2016].
Our community will now set set its eyes on the outcome of the budget debate and on the budget lines that will be allocated to heritage conservation and management, both at Malaysia’s federal and at state levels. The sector does not appear to be part of the frontline issues. Will the current scarcity of resources affect it in particular?
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