Kuala lumpur: 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, stated that 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.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar expressed that the MADANI Government will persist in managing public finances prudently and accelerate reforms under the 13th Malaysia Plan. He highlighted that these efforts aim to ensure that the growth achieved is robust, resilient, and delivers meaningful benefits to all Malaysians. Anwar's comments were made in response to the recent IMF assessment.

Earlier today, IMF Mission Chief for Malaysia Masahiro Nozaki acknowledged Malaysia's notable resilience against global trade tensions and policy uncertainty. He noted that the Malaysian economy is growing at a healthy pace this year, supported by strong domestic consumption and investment, solid employment growth, and a global technology-sector upcycle. Nozaki attributed this strong performance to sound economic policies and prudent macroeconomic and financial management by the authorities.

Malaysia's economic resilience is expected to continue in the near term, bolstered by strong domestic demand. IMF staff project that growth will ease marginally from 4.6 percent in 2025 to 4.3 percent in 2026, mainly due to the impact of higher United States tariffs on the country.