Malaysia’s 2026 growth forecast above 5%, says Amir Hamzah
The minister linked the economic outlook to income measures in Budget 2027, including minimum wage increases and fairer pay at government-linked firms.
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan expects Malaysia’s economy to expand by more than 5% in 2026, extending its run above that threshold to three years.
At the Ministry of Finance’s 2026 Finance Run programme in Putrajaya on Nov 15, he pointed to continued momentum following GDP growth of 5.1% in 2024 and 5.2% in 2025.
Preliminary figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) suggest third-quarter growth of 5.3% for 2026, he said. The department is scheduled to publish the quarterly GDP figures on Nov 18. Growth for the initial nine months of 2026 has been reported at 5.5%.
Amir Hamzah credited government efforts under the Madani Economic framework for the performance. Further economic development would support higher-quality jobs and allow the government to distribute growth benefits more widely, he said.
He said measures to lift incomes featured in Budget 2027, including increasing the minimum wage and encouraging fairer pay by government-linked investment companies (GLICs) and government-linked companies (GLCs).
For citizens who do not benefit directly from economic expansion, he said the government would continue strengthening assistance through Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara). Work under Payung Rahmah had also intensified to help with cost-of-living pressures, he added.
