https://www.scmp.com/rss/523742/feed The latest news and top stories on Bank Negara Malaysia. A Malaysia-based central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is dedicated to promoting monetary and financial stability to foster sustainable economic growth. Its main areas of focus include formulating and implementing monetary policy, ensuring financial system stability and overseeing the nation’s payment systems. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia has so far been spared the worst of the regional energy crunch, but experts say the government needs to move quickly and take more aggressive measures to prevent a worsening economic crisis if the Iran war becomes a drawn-out conflict. Much of Southeast Asia has been hit hard by the energy crisis, with thousands of motorists ditching their vehicles over the lack of fuel and governments burning through billions of dollars and scrambling to find alternative fuel sources to rein in prices... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348948/malaysia-urged-take-more-aggressive-action-tackle-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s central bank has raised its 2026 growth outlook, saying the economy is on track to expand between 4 and 5 per cent despite mounting risks from the Iran war. The revised forecast from Bank Negara Malaysia marks an upgrade from the government’s earlier target of 4 to 4.5 per cent, reflecting stronger-than-expected momentum in the second half of last year and resilient domestic demand. “Malaysia enters 2026 from a position of strength to navigate the challenges,” BNM Governor Abdul... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348505/malaysia-raises-2026-growth-forecast-despite-iran-war-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The energy crisis caused by the Iran war could push food prices up by as much as 50 per cent in Malaysia, trade associations have warned, as soaring fuel costs threaten to wipe out already narrow margins for roadside stalls and restaurants feeding the country’s outsize appetite for eating out. Malaysia’s government coffers have already taken a hit due to fallout from the conflict, with local fuel subsidy costs estimated to spike by more than fourfold to about 3.2 billion ringgit (US$795 million)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348417/malaysias-food-prices-could-rise-50-fuel-costs-soar-traders-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:30:23 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysia predicts growth this year is likely to approach 4.8 per cent after a resurgent exports sector defied the impact of US tariffs in the third quarter. The nation’s growth rate in 2025 is set to be “closer to” the upper range of the official forecast of 4 per cent to 4.8 per cent, and may even exceed it, Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said at a briefing in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. An expansion in household spending and sustained investment activity will drive the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332782/malaysian-economys-hot-run-continues-despite-trumps-tariff-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332782/malaysian-economys-hot-run-continues-despite-trumps-tariff-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 07:03:12 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysians hoping for a boost from next month’s budget should brace themselves for disappointment, economists warn, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s room to hand out cash and subsidies shrinks with US tariffs starting to bite. Anwar, who is also finance minister, is expected to present a budget on October 10 that bolsters small and medium-sized businesses and scales up Malaysia’s capabilities in the semiconductor, electric vehicles and rare earths sectors. But the projected fall in US demand... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3325990/malaysia-braces-budget-constraints-us-tariffs-weigh-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3325990/malaysia-braces-budget-constraints-us-tariffs-weigh-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:00:49 +0000 Hadi Azmi Hadi Azmi Malaysia unveiled its latest economic road map to climb the global value chain on Thursday as it aims to produce premium tech products such as semiconductors and tap into artificial intelligence (AI) in its push for developed nation status by 2030. The “Made by Malaysia” aspiration is central to the 13th Malaysia Plan, the country’s five-year development blueprint for 2026 to 2030, and marks a strategic shift from its traditional role as a low-cost manufacturing hub. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320275/made-malaysia-plan-targets-premium-tech-ai-developed-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3320275/made-malaysia-plan-targets-premium-tech-ai-developed-status?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:00:34 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi Joseph Sipalan,Hadi Azmi In the calm of his kitchen, Christy Yoong once raised a glass to retirement – good wine, imported cheese and the spoils of a life’s work. But as Malaysia’s new tax regime lands with a thud, even these modest pleasures are slipping out of reach. When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his unexpected tax on imported luxuries in June, he promised the pain would be felt only by the affluent. The intent was clear: shore up government coffers by targeting the better-off. Yet the reality, for many... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317007/malaysias-new-luxury-taxes-hit-middle-class-where-it-hurts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317007/malaysias-new-luxury-taxes-hit-middle-class-where-it-hurts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:00:11 +0000