ANWAR WELCOMES IMF ASSESSMENT, REAFFIRMS PRIORITY ON PRUDENT ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assessment of Malaysia’s economic performance, emphasising that the government’s priority remains ensuring economic stability is managed responsibly.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government will continue to ensure that economic stability is not only managed prudently, but is also felt by the people through secure and fair job opportunities, as well as sustained confidence in the future.

“The MADANI Government will continue to manage public finances prudently and accelerate reforms under the 13th Malaysia Plan, so that the growth we build is truly strong, resilient, and delivers meaningful benefits to all Malaysians,” he said in a social media post.

Earlier today, IMF Mission Chief for Malaysia Masahiro Nozaki said Malaysia has shown notable resilience against global trade tensions and policy uncertainty, with the economy growing at a healthy pace this year, supported by strong domestic consumption and investment, solid employment growth, and a global technology-sector upcycle.

“The strong performance in part reflects sound economic policies, the authorities have maintained prudent macroeconomic and financial policies,” Nozaki said after consultations with Malaysian authorities and other stakeholders.

Malaysia’s economic resilience is expected to continue in the near term, supported by strong domestic demand, with IMF staff projecting growth to ease marginally from 4.6 per cent in 2025 to 4.3 per cent in 2026, mainly reflecting the impact of higher United States tariffs on the country.

-- BERNAMA