Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir warned that Malaysia is facing pressure from rising food, construction materials and labour market costs due to ongoing global supply chain disruptions.
As for food prices, although overall changes are still seen as being under control with an increase of under 10% for the period 20 to 22 April, some basic goods are starting to show an increase.
Chicken prices rose 3.3% to RM9.70 per kilogram, grade C eggs increased 7.3%, spinach rose almost 5% to RM5.59 per kilogram, while fresh coconut milk increased 3.6% to RM16.41 per kilogram.
This shows that input costs such as fertiliser, diesel, energy, raw materials and logistics are starting to affect consumers.
In the construction sector, costs increased by an average of 12.6% due to rising prices of diesel, bitumen, transport and other materials.
Since construction materials contribute more than 60% of the total project cost, this increase is expected to put pressure on ongoing infrastructure projects.
However, the government has assured that important projects such as roads, schools, clinics and basic amenities will continue.
The job market is also expected to be more challenging in the second quarter of 2026 due to the lingering effects of the global energy crisis.
SOCSO data shows that unemployment benefit applications have decreased from 7,512 in February to 5,855 in March and 5,734 in early April, but several sectors are still affected such as manufacturing, services, ICT, hospitality and transport.
To address this situation, the government is focusing on social protection, job training, supporting gig workers, youth development and strengthening the resilience of small and medium enterprises.
In addition, world oil prices are still unstable.
Brent crude oil fell 6.7% to $109.94 per barrel for the week of April 20 to 24, 2026, but rose again to $112.92 on April 24 and $113.34 on April 27.
This situation has a direct impact on the cost of transportation, energy and commodity prices worldwide.
