KUALA LUMPUR: Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd expects federal government spending to hit a record high of RM430.3 billion next year amid growing operating expenditure (OE) and development expenditure (DE). Ahead of the Budget 2026 presentation next week, the investment bank said in a note today that OE is expected to increase modestly by 2.6 per cent year-on-year to RM342.3 billion in...
KUALA LUMPUR: The following are the economic highlights of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) 2026-2030 which was tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament today, with the theme "Melakar Semua Pembangunan” (Redesigning Development).” - Investments of RM611 billion required to successfully implement 13MP - Development allocation from the government is estimated at RM430 billion, with RM227 billion to be...
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...
JOHOR BARU: Johor is the top contributor to the country's agricultural sector, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Onn Hafiz said the state recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) value of RM17.21bil or 17.1% of the national GDP in the agriculture sector. "Johor continues to be the leader and the largest contributor to the country's...
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s retail sector remained resilient in November 2024, as reflected in the latest distributive trade index (DTI) data, but analysts noted potential headwinds ahead. The Department of Statistics Malaysia reported a 3.9% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in the DTI for November, reaching 158.8 points, although this represented a slowdown from the 5.1% y-o-y growth recorded...
KUALA LUMPUR: Fitch Ratings' latest affirmation on Malaysia's sovereign credit rating underscores its economic progress as envisioned under the MADANI Economy framework, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “This is in particular to the MADANI government's commitment to implement significant legislative and institutional reforms that have resulted in better policy clarity and effective economic management,”...
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia’s strong economic performance in the third quarter (3Q) of 2024 reflects both business and consumer confidence in the Malaysian economy and the government’s economic management. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) in a statement today noted that the 5.3 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth recorded...
Malaysia’s sovereign bonds and currency are poised to rebound on robust economic indicators and expectations for fiscal discipline in the upcoming budget, investors said. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s spending plan, which is set to be released Friday, will likely show a lower budget deficit ratio of 3.9% from its 2024 target of 4.3%, and...
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is expected to maintain its economic growth forecast of 4.8% this year, mainly driven by consumer spending, according to Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd (StanChart). "We see consumer spending moderating as labour-market conditions soften but expect it to remain the primary driver," said StanChart economist Jonathan Koh and chief economist Edward Lee in...
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against the greenback as traders adopted a cautious stance and adjusted their positions due to anticipated pre-announcement volatility ahead of Malaysia’s second quarter (2Q) 2024 gross domestic product (GDP) data today. At 8.02 am, the ringgit depreciated to 4.4515/4720 against the US dollar from yesterday’s close of 4.4350/4405. Bank Muamalat Malaysia...
