Fast, factual wire coverage from across Malaysia and the region.
The Rahmah MADANI Sales Programme has expanded to Pasik Resettlement Scheme in Gua Musang, Kelantan, allowing 1,000 Temiar Orang Asli residents to purchase subsidised essential goods locally using their SARA credit balances.
Malaysia's Senate has endorsed the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2026, granting the Malaysia Competition Commission enhanced powers to tackle cartels, monopolies, and anti-competitive practices in the digital economy that fuel rising living costs.
Malaysia's Jualan MADANI KUSKOP programme is expanding across Sabah's remote areas, leveraging cooperatives to deliver discounted essentials and boost local economies while easing cost-of-living pressures.
Malaysia is spending up to RM50 billion annually on fuel subsidies to maintain RON95 petrol prices at RM1.99, insulating consumers from international oil price swings, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim disclosed.
Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh has stressed that universities must provide affordable business spaces and reduce rental costs to expand the Menu Rahmah affordable meal programme to more campuses across Malaysia.
Negeri Sembilan voters are signalling they want leaders who are accessible and capable of delivering concrete solutions rather than merely representing their interests. Cost of living, rural development, and employment quality dominate local concerns.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has committed to raising SARA assistance levels in the coming months, responding to mounting public concerns about escalating living expenses and building on existing government support schemes.
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed to reducing taxes on electricity bills, signalling an early policy focus on alleviating household energy costs that have become a central political issue across Europe.
Andy Burnham, the new UK Prime Minister, has consolidated power through extensive cabinet changes, removing figures aligned with his predecessor while pledging a comprehensive 10-year strategy to address cost-of-living challenges and signalling a shift in governing ideology.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has defended Malaysia's fuel pricing strategy, noting that the government already allocates approximately RM40 billion yearly to subsidies and cannot reduce prices further without undermining national finances.
Britain's next Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cancelled a £1.8 billion digital identity scheme, redirecting spending toward tackling a prolonged cost-of-living crisis that has left voters struggling with soaring energy and food prices.
Andy Burnham assumes the UK premiership on Monday, vowing to restore public confidence through political stability and tangible improvements in living standards. The former Manchester mayor faces immediate decisions on energy policy and water sector intervention.
Incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to abandon the national digital ID programme, redirecting funds and resources towards alleviating the cost-of-living burden on British citizens.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has indicated the government is evaluating a potential increase to the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) assistance programme in Budget 2027, though any expansion remains dependent on Malaysia's prevailing economic conditions.
Small companies and local contractors will receive 300 litres of subsidised diesel monthly through fleet cards, a support measure launched as Malaysia's targeted diesel subsidy programme takes effect in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan.
The Malaysian government has invested RM238.64 million in the MADANI Rahmah Sales Programme over seven months, facilitating more than 21 million transactions nationwide and supporting both consumers and retail operators through subsidised essential goods.
Malaysia's Essential Goods Distribution Programme has successfully narrowed the price gap between urban and rural areas for essential goods, with LPG cylinders dropping from RM39 to RM26.60 in some zones.
Malaysia's SARA cashless assistance programme has achieved a 99 per cent utilisation rate among nearly nine million monthly recipients, generating RM3.45 billion in transactions this year as allocations climb to RM15 billion by 2026.
Malaysia's government is leveraging the PAKW (Basic Living Expenditure) framework to design location-specific interventions addressing the stark cost-of-living gap between urban and rural areas, with Kuala Lumpur's baseline at RM5,639 versus Kelantan's RM4,254.
Malaysia will preserve its people-focused assistance programmes despite projected petroleum subsidies reaching almost RM40 billion this year, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong declared in Parliament.
Pakatan Harapan has rolled out a Johor state election manifesto designed to tackle the cost-of-living squeeze through integrated policies rather than ad-hoc assistance, featuring public accountability mechanisms and coordinated federal-state action.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia's sole candidate in the Johor state election is campaigning on affordability and fair wages, pointing to the phenomenon of Skudai residents commuting to Singapore as evidence of local income inadequacy.
Voters in Johor's Bukit Batu constituency are urging candidates to tackle the surging cost of living, create better-paying jobs, and repair deteriorating roads and public infrastructure ahead of the July 11 state election.
Parliament convened for a 16-day session focusing on SUHAKAM Act amendments, the divergence between official inflation figures and actual household costs, and education policy priorities.
Malaysia launches an expanded BUDI Diesel subsidy programme tomorrow, extending subsidised fuel access to 700,000 private vehicle owners nationwide at RM2.10 per litre, alongside relief measures for commercial transport operators.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living has conducted 15,881 Rahmah MADANI Sales events across Malaysia between January and June 2025, covering all 600 state constituencies and 40 Federal Territory zones as part of efforts to ease the public's financial burden.