Berita Desk delivers breaking news, politics, business, sports and lifestyle coverage from Malaysia and Southeast Asia — trusted, timely and independent.
Britain's economy is increasingly powered by artificial intelligence, with the sector contributing almost half of recent GDP growth. New policy emphasis on tech sovereignty and worker protection marks a strategic shift from previous approaches.
Malaysia has transformed into one of the world's leading AI hardware exporters, attracting billions in semiconductor and data centre investments. The nation's growth now outpaces regional peers, though political uncertainties loom ahead.
Malaysia's Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah projects continued strong economic performance through the remainder of 2026, backed by government measures to stabilize oil supplies and upcoming Formula One racing event.
Malaysia's Economy Ministry has exceeded the national spending average at 57 percent of its annual development budget, with ambitions to rank among the top three performing ministries by December.
Malaysia stands on the cusp of achieving high-income nation status, with its GNI per capita reaching USD12,380 under PM Anwar Ibrahim's administration, just shy of the World Bank's USD14,376 threshold.
Investment banks have substantially upgraded Malaysia's export growth forecasts for 2026, with RHB IB projecting 21.7% expansion driven by electronics and technology sectors benefiting from the AI investment wave.
The Malaysian government has greenlit 46 development initiatives worth RM207 million for Pasir Puteh, capitalizing on the East Coast Rail Link to unlock economic potential in the Terengganu constituency.
MBSB Investment Bank has upgraded Malaysia's 2026 GDP growth forecast to 4.5% from 4.2%, reflecting stronger-than-expected economic momentum. The central bank is anticipated to keep interest rates unchanged at 2.75% throughout the year.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Christopher Pissarides disputes claims that AI will restore rapid productivity growth to Western economies, arguing the era of fast expansion may be permanently over.