KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 9 -- The Madani government came to power on a demand for reform. But are the changes underway truly delivering, and are they for better or worse?

Terms like "fiscal reform" and "subsidy rationalisation" dominate headlines. But what do they mean, and how do they affect Malaysians?

What is fiscal reform, really and does it mean we'll be paying more taxes?

Malaysia remains under taxed. In 2024, tax revenue was 12.4 per cent of GDP, among the lowest in the region. At the same time, subsidies for daily essentials and a RM1.3 trillion debt burden pressure public finances. Interest payments alone hit RM54.7 billion, exceeding the Health Ministry's budget.

The Ekonomi Madani framework aims to strengthen the economy while p...