Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: The economy’s positive growth momentum is expected to continue into 2026 from last year, following the better-than-expected growth numbers announced recently.
Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said: “Given what we announced for 2025, the projection is good for 2026”.
The government released advanced gross domestic product (GDP) numbers that showed the economy grew 4.9% in 2025, better than the official GDP projection of 4% to 4.8%.
He was speaking at a media briefing on the Malaysia Economic Forum 2026, which would be held on Feb 5 and opened to the public.
“Just for this forum, I don’t think I want to adjust that number or give a better impression on that growth,” Akmal added.
The government projects 2026 GDP to expand 4% to 4.5%.
Striking a cautious note, he noted that the full impact of the US tariffs would be felt this year while the geopolitical landscape remains challenging.
“If we can exceed, it’s good for us,” he said, adding that for now, the GDP growth projection remains at the lower end of the 4% to 4.5% range.
Akmal said Malaysia Economic Forum 2026 allows the various ministries to report on the progress of the various initiatives that have been announced, for example on the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
These reports would include updates and assessments of the initiatives.
At the same time, the forum’s panellists and moderators, drawn from various industries and academia, can provide a more holistic view of the economy’s progress.
To ensure that the focus remains on execution and delivery of the current government programmes, no new policy would be announced at the forum.
Michael Oh-Lau, chief executive officer of Maybank Investment Banking Group, said the forum “provides a fantastic platform to communicate with clarity and signal commitment in not just implementing policies, but tracking progress and execution of these policies.
“This is what the investor and the business community wants to see”.
Maybank is a principal strategic partner of the forum.
The forum would include a fireside chat in which Akmal would discuss the economy’s gains as well as the next steps and targets for 2026, such as initiatives like the NETR and JS-SEZ.
The forum’s discussion topics range from artificial intelligence to housing and healthcare reforms. Other areas for discussion include fiscal and monetary policies.
