Fifth MADANI budget to reinforce resilience, lift wages and protect households

Malaysia's fifth MADANI Budget, scheduled for release later this year, aims to address rising living costs and external shocks while promoting wage growth and bolstering local businesses. The budget, which will be the second under the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan, will focus on three key priorities: raising the ceiling for national growth, raising the floor for living standards, and advancing governance reform.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized the need for the budget to balance short-term household protection with long-term economic transformation. Key measures include reducing dependence on low-skilled foreign labor through automation and workforce planning, expanding technical and vocational education and training programs, and emphasizing artificial intelligence literacy and digital capabilities to prepare workers and SMEs for changing workplace requirements.

Additionally, the budget aims to increase female workforce participation through measures such as expanding access to quality childcare and encouraging flexible working arrangements.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Vibes's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.