KUALA LUMPUR, May 12, 2026 — Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim today chaired a meeting of the National Economic Action Council (MTEN) that focused on bolstering Malaysia’s economic preparedness and resilience in the face of ongoing global supply disruptions and rising living costs.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Anwar highlighted a key proposal to reduce rental rates for business premises managed by local authorities (PBT) nationwide. He stressed the need for more PBTs to adopt the measure to help ease the financial pressure on hawkers and small-scale traders, who are struggling with higher operational expenses.
“The MADANI government has already begun reducing rental rates for hawker and small trader premises through DBKL and MARA. This compassionate approach should be emulated by other PBTs across the country for the well-being of the people and the sustainability of small businesses in an increasingly challenging global economy,” Anwar said.
The meeting also reviewed broader strategic measures to tackle global uncertainties, including the development of a Global Supply Crisis Monitoring Dashboard and proposed policy enhancements related to supply chains and pricing.
Anwar directed all ministries to realign their support programmes, initiatives and assistance so they reach the intended target groups more effectively — particularly the poor and vulnerable — ensuring no one is left behind amid the economic pressures.
“MTEN will continue to give primary focus to efforts in guaranteeing supply continuity and protecting the people, especially the vulnerable groups and small traders, so they are not further burdened by global economic shocks,” he added.
The Prime Minister used the hashtags #MalaysiaMADANI, #MADANIbekerja and #YakinMADANI to underscore the government’s commitment to its people-centric agenda.
The announcement comes as Malaysia, like many countries, navigates persistent global supply chain volatility and inflationary pressures on daily essentials. The rental reduction initiative builds on existing efforts by the Federal Territories’ Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to support micro and small enterprises.
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