Malaysia PM Anwar unveils measures to tackle living costs, support local businesses
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been under pressure to tackle higher living costs, even as the country’s economy has outperformed most of its regional peers.
People walk along a shopping street in Kuala Lumpur on May 28, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Jam Sta Rosa)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday (Aug 30) introduced measures to address rising living costs and support businesses, including restoring higher quotas for subsidised petrol and diesel purchases, as well as more funding for schools and small traders.
The measures are expected to take effect on Sep 1, Anwar said in a televised address.
“The economic growth of the country must be returned to the people,” he said.
Anwar has been under pressure to tackle higher living costs, even as Malaysia’s economy has outperformed most of its regional peers. The country’s gross domestic product grew 6 per cent in the second quarter this year, surpassing official projections.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Anwar said the government would restore a quota for Malaysian citizens to buy the popular RON95 transport fuel to 300L per month, after reducing it to 200L a month earlier this year amid a surge in global crude oil prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The quota for diesel purchases for certain categories of users would be similarly raised to 400L per month, he said.
Anwar said a government artificial intelligence program would be opened to Malaysians aged between 18 and 30 years that would include free access to several key applications including Google’s Gemini Enterprise and Wonderclip and MuleRun by China’s Alibaba Cloud.
He also unveiled increased funding for maintaining schools, improving digital health systems and micro-financing facilities for small businesses. He said the government would raise the revenue threshold exempting companies from implementing e-invoicing to RM3 million a year.
Any funds seized or forfeited from anti-corruption legal proceedings would be channelled to government programs, particularly in education and healthcare, he added.
Anwar’s coalition has faced declining support over what critics have described as a failure to deliver on promised reforms and the mishandling of several high-profile corruption cases. The coalition has been defeated in three successive regional elections in recent months.
The state elections are widely seen as an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of a general election that must be held by early 2028. Anwar has said he may call for snap polls if divisions within his administration continue to widen.
Source: Reuters/lk
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
