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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Budget 2025 has been the talk of the town since it was unveiled on Oct 18, not so much for the measures or projects introduced, but for how he defined Malaysia’s ‘ultra-rich’.
Describing them with the pejorative Malay word “mahakaya”, he announced that the T15 group would no longer benefit from subsidies on fuel, public healthcare and education.
The T15 group is broadly understood to be Malaysia’s top 15 per cent of income earners with monthly household earnings of around RM13,000 (S$3,900) or more.
There has been criticism over describing the T15 group as ‘ultra-rich’, especially with new taxes announced that will hit the higher-income segment and the rising cost of living in urban areas.
Of course, framing policies based on income class is better than trotting out the race card, as is common in Malaysian politics.
That said, the Anwar administration has also introduced a couple of controversial bills that appear to cater to the Malay-Muslim nationalist establishment. The first of which is a Mufti bill granting lawmaking power to the official Islamic jurist of the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan that has stoked concerns over Muslims’ freedom of choice.
Then, there is also the amendment to citizenship rules in the Federal Constitution that, while progressive in some aspects, could also deepen the problem of statelessness for certain segments of society, critics have warned.
Follow ST’s coverage as we continue to bring you the latest developments.
More baby steps for Anwar as political hurdles not over yet
Analysts are concerned that Budget 2025 is not making enough headway to untangle Malaysia’s fiscal challenges.
Bill to grant mufti lawmaking powers stokes concern among Malaysia’s Muslims
The proposed law has drawn flak for curbing Muslims’ personal freedoms and undermining the Constitution.
Sarawak aims to be regional green energy powerhouse, boost talent pool
The state government can consider easing the employment pass rule to draw talent, said an expert.
Malaysia approves law allowing mothers to pass on citizenship to children born overseas
But criticism remains as the law revokes automatic citizenship for children born in Malaysia to PRs.
Stigma hinders Malaysians from seeking mental health help
Societal perceptions play a significant role in discouraging help-seeking behaviour, said one expert.
Over 4 million cars enter Johor from S’pore, generating $26m in road revenue for Malaysia
The amount was collected from January to September 2024, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.