The Malaysian economy contracts 5.6 percent in 2020. (Photo: Reuters)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin onMarch 17 announced a new economic stimulus package, hoping to breathe life intothe pandemic-hit economy.
The economy contracted 5.6 percent in 2020, its worst performance since a 7.4percent fall in 1998, owing partly to strict movement curbs aimed at haltingthe COVID-19 spread.
Muhyiddin said the government would roll out 20 billion MR (4.86 billion USD)of stimulus packages, including a 11 billion MR fiscal injection.
Under the new plan, the government will raise its COVID-19 immunisation budgetto 5 billion MR, from the initial 3billion MR laid out in its 2021 budget.
The additional funds should help Malaysia reach its target of vaccinating 80percent of its 32 million population by December, instead of February 2022, thePrime Minister said.
In a bid to promote alternative financing, he said the securities commissionwould improve regulations and expand equity crowdfunding to unlisted privatefirms.
Listing fees would be waived for 12 months to encourage companies to go public,while listed firms that suffered quarterly losses would be eligible for rebateson their annual listing fees.
Muhyiddin said commercial 5G services would start in stages from the end ofthis year to develop innovation and new jobs in the digital economy.
The government will alsooffer more cash aid, subsidies, matching grants and training for individualsand businesses, while applying movement restrictions only in areas withinfections.
♈ This was the second round of stimulus packages announced this yearafter a 3.7 billion USD plan in January./.
Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin plans to launch the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital) to further promote the crucial economic sector’s growth, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Economy Mustapa Mohamed.
Malaysia is to issue a smart vaccination certificate to people in the country who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
Malaysia will become a high-income economy between 2024 and 2028, a reflection of the country’s economic transformation development trajectory over the past decades, according to the World Bank’s flagship report “Aiming High – Navigating the Next Stage of Malaysia’s Development”.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
The Malaysian economy contracts 5.6 percent in 2020. (Photo: Reuters) 
