Govt may roll out stimulus package amid Mideast war, says Anwar’s aide

2026-03-28 - 11:01

Kamil Munim, political secretary to Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as finance minister, said the government is monitoring the situation to see what kind of economic initiatives can be taken. PETALING JAYA: The government may introduce an economic stimulus package to help Malaysians deal with rising prices caused by the Middle East war, says an aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Kamil Munim, Anwar’s political secretary in his capacity as finance minister, said the stimulus measures would be similar to that rolled out during the Covid-19 pandemic, reported Berita Harian. Putrajaya allocated a total of RM530 billion across eight economic stimulus and aid packages to address the Covid-19 pandemic, including RM83 billion of direct fiscal injections. “The government is continually monitoring the situation so we can plan what economic initiatives, such as those mentioned, can be taken to help sustain the economy and the public’s livelihood,” said Kamil at an event in Ipoh today. The US and Israel launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran on Feb 28, prompting retaliatory strikes by Iran on US bases and allied positions. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz following the strikes, choking a key energy passage and triggering a spike in oil and gas prices, which has led to inflationary fears across the globe.