In just 24 hours after it was launched by the government, Malaysia’s Hope Fund, or Tabung Harapan Malaysia, has collected more than RM7 million (US$1.76 million) as of 3pm on Thursday. The fund was set up for members of the public to contribute towards repaying the country’s debt. The Malaysian government announced belt-tightening measures on Thursday afternoon to rapidly pare down total liabilities of 1.087 trillion ringgit that ballooned during the tenure of scandal-tainted premier Najib Razak. Malaysia will review, defer or renegotiate a number of projects totalling at least 10 billion ringgit through the end of the year to meet the fiscal deficit target of 2.8%, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.