KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said Malaysia’s improving economic indicators would mean little if growth does not translate into better living standards for ordinary Malaysians.
Speaking at the Malaysia Economic Forum 2026 here, Anwar said that while the country was on track to record GDP growth of about 4.9 per cent in 2025 with inflation contained at 1.6 per cent, economic success could not be measured by numbers alone.
“But let us be clear. Numbers alone do not define success. Markets may respond to data, but the rakyat judge by experience,” he said in his keynote address.
“Growth must be felt in homes, in workplaces, and in the cost of living faced by ordinary families. Otherwise, it remains hollow,” he added.
Anwar said renewed investor confidence and a strengthening ringgit reflected growing trust in Malaysia’s institutions and governance, which he attributed to disciplined fiscal management and reforms undertaken by his administration.
He said his administration had taken an uncompromising stance against corruption, stressing that there would be no exceptions for the well-connected.
“There will be no tolerance for corruption and no exceptions for the well-connected. Without accountability, there can be no credibility. Without credibility, there can be no sustainable growth,” he said.
However, Anwar said enforcement alone was insufficient, emphasising the need for lasting institutional reforms that outlive political cycles.
“We are strengthening institutions so that integrity does not depend on personalities, but on systems. Rules must outlast individuals,” he said.
The prime minister said economic reforms must ultimately expand opportunities and improve real living standards, particularly in the face of cost-of-living pressures.
Anwar also highlighted the impact of technological change, particularly artificial intelligence, on the labour market, warning that policy choices made now would determine whether technology widened opportunity or deepened inequality.
He said growth must be broad-based, with greater focus on regional development, small and medium enterprises, and higher-value tourism, while basic needs such as healthcare, housing, and preparation for an ageing society must not be neglected.
On climate policy, Anwar said the energy transition was no longer optional, describing it as a practical response to global market changes, as Parliament prepares to consider a Climate Change Bill.
“We will not retreat from reform, and we will not compromise on integrity,” he said.
