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By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: With Melaka set to go to the polls on Nov 14, Malaysia will have held 10 state elections since the 15th General Election (GE15). This is the highest number of state election events recorded in any period between general elections, according to an analysis of election data. Since GE15 on Nov 19, 2022, Malaysia has held nine state election events and 13 by-elections as at Aug 1 this year.  Melaka's upcoming election will bring the number of state election events to 10. The figure stands out against previous periods.  The nine state election events since GE15 comprised six state elections held simultaneously on Aug 12, 2023, followed by Sabah's state election in 2025 and the Johor and Negri Sembilan state elections this year. The six states that went to the polls in 2023 were Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah. Negri Sembilan stands out for having held two state election...

By NARMATHA RAJA PETALING JAYA: Haze hotspots in Indonesia’s Kalimantan and Sumatra have surged to their highest level in a decade, with 37,628 detected as of Oct 11, following a sharp increase over the past 45 days. The last recorded high was in 2015, when the two regions registered a combined 58,106 hotspots. According to data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), the latest tally represents a 140% increase from the 15,652 hotspots recorded between Jan 1 and Aug 27. Kalimantan accounted for 29,306 or about 78% of the combined total, while Sumatra recorded 8,322 hotspots. Kalimantan’s tally more than doubled (140%), rising from 12,212 as of Aug 27 to 29,306 by Oct 11.  Sumatra’s count also climbed by 142%, from 3,440 to 8,322 over the same period. In just 45 days, the two regions recorded an additional 21,976 hotspots with Kalimantan accounting for 17,094 and Sumatra for 4,882. Kalimantan’s 2026 tally has also s...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Soaring oil prices have led to a sharp rise in subsidies that the government has had to bear to keep petrol pump prices steady for Malaysians. Since the start of this year, the price of unsubsidised RON95 petrol has gone up by 76.6% from RM2.56 to RM4.52 as at Oct 1. Ahead of the tabling of Budget 2027 on Friday (Oct 9), we take a closer look at how the surge in global oil prices has affected - and may continue to affect – Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill.   Steep climb since the Iran conflict The government launched the Budi Madani RON95 (BUDI95) programme in September last year as part of its move to transition from blanket subsidies to targeted subsidies. Under the initiative, eligible Malaysians currently qualify for 300 litres of subsidised RON95 petrol each month at RM1.99 per litre. The start of the Middle East conflict in late February then triggered a sharp spike in global oil prices.   A gro...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill could approach RM50bil in a prolonged oil-price shock scenario, according to an economist. Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) research associate Dr Mikhail Rosli estimated Malaysia’s fuel subsidy bill could cost between RM45bil and RM50bil next year if Brent crude prices remain above US$100 per barrel. He said the estimate would be broadly in line with the KRI’s Beyond The Pump report which estimated fuel subsidies will cost around RM48 billion per year when the crude oil prices exceed US$100 per barrel and remain at that level. However, he stressed that this remained a “tail scenario” rather than the most likely outcome. “This remains an unlikely scenario, as the US Energy Information Administration’s base case projects Brent crude to average US$74 per barrel in 2027, while the World Bank forecasts US$70 and the IMF’s severe scenario at between US$110 and US$125,” he said. The wa...

Sub-head: Ahead of Budget 2027, which is due to be tabled on Oct 9, we look back at how allocations are spread between ministries. By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Education, Finance and Health are the top three ministries when it comes to budget allocations. An analysis of Budgets tabled between 2016 and 2026 shows these three ministries consistently in the top three, receiving about half of all ministerial allocations each year. In Budget 2026, for instance, the three ministries received a total of RM159.7bil or 52% of the RM306.9bil allocated to the country’s 28 ministries.   From 2016 to 2026, the top spot in terms of allocations often changed hands between the Education and Finance ministries. The Education Ministry held the top spot from 2016 to 2018, reclaiming it in 2020 and 2021, and returned to the top spot in 2025 and 2026. The Finance Ministry topped the list in 2019 and agains from 2022 and 2024. The Health Ministry remain...

By SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI PETALING JAYA: Ahead of Budget 2027, which is due to be tabled on Oct 9, The Star looks back at a decade of federal expenditure. An analysis of 11 budget tablings between 2016 and 2026 shows that the Education Ministry, Finance Ministry, and Health Ministry have remained among the three largest recipients of federal allocations. The crown for the highest-funded portfolio, however, has changed hands between the Education and Finance ministries over the years. The Education Ministry held the top spot from 2016 to 2018 before reclaiming it in 2020 and 2021, and again in 2025 and 2026. The Finance Ministry, meanwhile, rose to the top in 2019 and dominated the rankings from 2022 to 2024. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, remained at number three spot throughout all 11 years. At the other end of the ranking, the bottom three positions were more frequently, with the National Unity, Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development, and P...