Inflation control and health insurance key to tackling soaring medical costs, says Amir Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR: Controlling inflation and widening insurance base coverage is the approach the government is looking at to tackle soaring medical costs, says Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. He said the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) system is one of the important aspects to address the issue. "We have agreed to expand the insurance coverage in...

Govt to announce revised fuel Automatic Pricing Mechanism shortly, says Armizan

CYBERJAYA: The government will announce a revised rate for the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) soon to ensure the continued viability of petrol stations following the implementation of the targeted RON95 petrol subsidy, says Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali. The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said a proposal to review the rate has been submitted to...

Budi95 records RM43.7mil in transactions nationwide

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister’s senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah says a total of RM43.7mil in transactions was recorded for 21.8 million litres of RON95 petrol under the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) initiative as of Sept 29. He said that as of 7pm on Sept 29, nearly 912,000 B40 Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) recipients, along with...

Ensure details on MyKad and driving license match for subsidised petrol under Budi95

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should ensure that details on their MyKads and driving licenses match to enjoy RON95 petrol priced at RM1.99 per litre under the Budi95 programme, says the Finance Ministry. It said a cross-analysis with the Transport Ministry revealed that some driving licences did not follow the 12-digit format used on MyKad. Some still used old...

Budi95: Petrol stations ready backup plans to ensure public gets subsidised fuel

KUALA LUMPUR: The public has been assured that the targeted subsidy programme under the Budi Madani RON95 (Budi95) initiative from Sept 27 will not affect fuel supplies or transactions at petrol stations, even amid expected spikes in demand. The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia (PDAM) president, Datuk Khairul Annuar Abdul Aziz, said operators nationwide are fully...

Household financial assets are double debt levels, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s household financial assets remain robust, standing at 2.1 times more than total household debt, the Dewan Rakyat was told. This is despite debt levels reaching RM1.65 trillion, equivalent to 84.3% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), as at the end of March, said Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying. She added that while...

Federal debt up RM50bil to RM1.3 trillion, says Deputy Finance Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Government's debt has risen to RM1.3 trillion as of March 2025, up from RM1.25 trillion at the end of last year, while total liabilities stood at RM384.6bil compared to RM384.8bil previously, says Lim Hui Ying. The Deputy Finance Minister said the increase was due to the government's need to finance fiscal deficits...

Fuel prices July 10-16: Diesel up 3sen, RON95, RON97 unchanged

KUALA LUMPUR: The retail price of diesel in Peninsular Malaysia will be increased by 3sen per litre from July 10 to 16. The Finance Ministry, in a statement Wednesday (July 9) said the retail price of diesel would go up to RM2.88 per litre in the peninsula. The price of diesel would, however, remain at RM2.15 per...

Refined sugar to stay tax-exempt, says Finance Ministry

PETALING JAYA: Refined sugar, commonly known as white sugar, will remain untaxed under the revised sales and service tax (SST) framework set to take effect from July 1, says the Finance Ministry. Addressing concerns raised by manufacturer MSM Malaysia Holdings Berhad, the ministry said the government's targeted taxation approach would ensure that essential goods including sugar,...

Tariff talks with Washington have been excellent, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Ongoing negotiations with the US over its unilateral tariffs are going very well, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic). The Prime Minister said this was conveyed by Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, who are both currently in Washington...