{
  "id": 13122285,
  "title": "Civil servants praise 2027 Budget's bid to tackle cost-of-living issues",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/civil-servants-praise-2027-budgets-bid-to-tackle-cost-of-living-issues",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T13:16:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1551933/civil-servants-praise-2027-budgets-bid-tackle-cost-living-issues"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUCHING: The Malaysian government is set to provide special financial assistance of RM1,500 for civil servants and RM750 for government retirees and veterans in 2027, aiming to alleviate the cost-of-living burden faced by these individuals. Joshua Amir Sibat, a civil servant, highlighted that the assistance comes as the average household consumption expenditure rose from RM5,150 in 2022 to RM5,566 in 2024, marking an 8.1% increase over two years. This indicates the pressing need for financial support to help households adapt to rising living costs. Joshua emphasized that the one-off assistance should be seen as a complement to more comprehensive measures to protect purchasing power, enhance productivity, and improve overall well-being. Azhar Ishak, a retired serviceman, welcomed the increased Special Financial Assistance (BKK) to RM750 in 2027, noting that it represents a 200% rise from RM250 in 2026. He stressed that this boost would aid retirees in managing daily expenses, especially in light of the escalating cost of living.",
  "summary": "KUCHING: The special financial assistance of RM1,500 for civil servants and RM750 for government retirees and veterans is expected to help ease the cost-of-living burden, particularly in meeting daily necessities, children’s education and family commitments, while also stimulating domestic spending.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Khazanah Research praises 2027 Budget's cost-of-living initiatives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/khazanah-research-praises-2027-budgets-cost-of-living-initiatives",
        "published": "2026-10-09T13:02:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Civil servants to get RM1,500 aid, pensioners RM750 under Budget 2027",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/civil-servants-to-get-rm1-500-aid-pensioners-rm750-under-budget-2027",
        "published": "2026-10-09T13:12:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}