Last week, Putrajaya issued a directive for all ministries to cut operating expenditures amid the escalating Middle East conflict. The move follows a spike in the national subsidy bill, which is now projected to hit RM58.4 billion, four times the initial budget of RM15 billion. This comes as fuel costs are surging up to RM7 billion monthly, prompting the Ministry of Finance to preserve fiscal space through significant cuts in health and education. How can the government balance these drastic cost-saving measures without having too much of an impact on the nation’s economic growth and public well-being?

Image Credit: Shutterstock

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.