The government has asserted the importance of increasing the debt ceiling to 65 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to have a wiggle room to finance the government's budget deficit in the medium term, including funding needs for the implementation of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz (above) said although the government's debt ceiling was raised to 65 percent, what was more important was the government's ability to repay the loan.

"If we were to pull the break too fast, where we suddenly don't want...