Date: July 23, 2025

By Miichael Yeoh

Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivered a heartfelt address on July 23, 2025, highlighting the nation’s recent economic achievements under the Ekonomi MADANI framework, and more importantly, unveiling new measures aimed at improving the lives of ordinary Malaysians.

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🌍 Key Economic Achievements

1. Steady GDP Growth:
   • Q1 2025 GDP grew by 4.4%, with Q2 expected to reach 4.5%.
   • Malaysia ranked 23rd globally in the World Competitiveness Index (up 11 spots).
2. Historic Investments:
   • RM384 billion in approved investments in 2024 – the highest ever.
3. Stronger Ringgit:
   • The Ringgit has appreciated over 5% against the USD (now at RM4.23), ranking it among Asia’s top five performing currencies.

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💼 Positive Impact on Malaysians

1. Improved Job Market & Wages

• Unemployment dropped to 3.0% (lowest in over a decade).
• RM1,700 minimum wage introduced in Feb 2025.
• Over 250,000 jobs created between 2023–2024.
• 153,000 GLC/GLIC employees now earn a living wage of RM3,100/month.

2. Healthcare & Poverty Eradication

• More than 4,000 new medical positions to be filled.
• Nearly 150,000 hardcore poor households lifted out of poverty since 2023.
• Launch of Sejahtera MADANI, a joint initiative with the corporate sector to continue this effort.

3. Direct Aid & Support for Cost of Living

• STR & SARA cash assistance increased to RM13 billion.
• Additional RM2.9 billion in welfare aid for senior citizens and children in poor families.
• Paddy farmers and rubber tappers benefit from price floor hikes and higher subsidies.

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🛍️ NEW Immediate Measures for the People

✅ 1. RM100 Cash via MyKad for All Adults

• Effective Aug 31 – Dec 31, 2025, every Malaysian aged 18+ will receive RM100.
• Usable at over 4,100 stores including Mydin, Lotus, Econsave, and 99Speedmart.
• Estimated 22 million Malaysians to benefit.
• Total allocation: RM2 billion (STR & SARA now RM15 billion combined).
• Households with multiple adults will receive multiple payouts (e.g., 4 adults = RM400 total).

✅ 2. Extra Public Holiday

• Monday, Sept 15, 2025, declared a public holiday to celebrate Malaysia Day and promote family bonding and domestic tourism.

✅ 3. Expansion of Jualan Rahmah MADANI

• Allocation doubled from RM300M to RM600M.
• More locations and product options across all 600 state constituencies.

✅ 4. No Toll Hike for 2025

• 10 expressways due for toll hikes will remain unchanged.
• The government will absorb RM500M in compensation to operators.

✅ 5. Petrol Subsidy Revamp

• RON95 petrol price to drop to RM1.99/litre.
• Subsidy targeting to prevent abuse by foreigners and wealthy individuals.
• Those who qualify (ordinary Malaysians) will continue to enjoy subsidies, while others will pay market rates.
• Reflects similar approach to electricity subsidy restructuring, where 85% of users saw lower bills.

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📚 What It Means for Malaysians

These initiatives signify a direct redistribution of national economic gains back to the people. The government’s approach combines responsible fiscal management, targeted assistance, and long-term poverty alleviation, while avoiding blanket subsidies that benefit the wealthy or foreigners.

The additional cash support, subsidized essentials, education aid, and income initiatives aim to tackle both immediate cost of living concerns and long-term structural challenges—especially for vulnerable groups.

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🧭 Looking Ahead

Prime Minister Anwar reaffirmed that the focus remains on rakyat-centric policies, promising further efforts in the upcoming MADANI Budget 2026 to sustainably address the cost of living and economic equality.

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🇲🇾 Bottom Line

The speech underscores a Malaysia that’s not only recovering economically but also intentionally channelling its growth into meaningful, targeted support for all citizens—especially the B40 and M40 groups. The result is a more inclusive, resilient, and fairer society moving forward.