Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) is set to engage state governments in a detailed briefing session on El Nino to implement early preparations. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir announced the decision, which was made by the National Economic Action Council (MTEN), given the El Nino phenomenon expected to persist until at least mid-2027.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has initiated early preparedness measures, including 24-hour weather monitoring, weather warning announcements, a fire hazard rating system, and readiness to implement cloud seeding operations if required. Akmal Nasrullah highlighted that El Nino could lead to warmer weather with a significant reduction in rainfall by 40 to 60 percent in several states, posing risks to water supplies, public health, food crops, and the macro economy.
Akmal Nasrullah referenced the country's experience during the high-temperature periods of 2015 and 2016, which resulted in the closure of 250 schools in the northern peninsula and a decline in palm oil production by around 16 to 18 percent.
The minister also addressed the labor force statistics, indicating an increase to 17.33 million people, with the working population rising to 16.82 million in April. The labor force participation rate remained steady at 70.9 percent. The unemployment rate stood at 3.0 percent, with 511.8 thousand people unemployed, although 79.5 percent were actively seeking employment.
Data from the Employment Insurance System (EIS) of the Social Security Organisation (Socso) showed 7,766 workers lost their jobs in May compared to 7,162 in April. However, job placement improved by 19.0 percent, with MYFutureJobs data recording an increase from 12,119 placements in April 2026 to 14,366 in May 2026.
In the health sector, Akmal Nasrullah reiterated the government's commitment to strengthening buffer stocks and expanding supply sources for critical medicines. Actions include a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, signed during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit on June 8.
MOH's monitoring until May 8 showed that 72 percent of medicine items and 81.7 percent of medical devices were at a low-risk level. Regarding agricultural incentives, Akmal Nasrullah reported that 90 percent of farmers in the Peninsula who began padi planting in season 1 2026 have received the RM200 per hectare Ploughing Incentive advance payment.