Dewan Negara concludes its 10-day sitting, passing the National Trust Fund Bill 2026 and Statistics Bill 2026.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara concluded its Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament today. It passed two new Bills during the 10-day sitting that began on July 20.
The sitting focused on measures to strengthen national governance, fiscal sustainability, economic competitiveness, energy security and efforts to attract high-quality investments.
The two Bills were the National Trust Fund (KWAN) Bill 2026 and the Statistics Bill 2026. The former aims to strengthen governance and impose clearer discipline on withdrawals from the National Trust Fund. The latter establishes a more modern and comprehensive legal framework for national statistics. Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong tabled the KWAN Bill. Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah tabled the Statistics Bill.
On the opening day, the government assured the House it would take appropriate measures to safeguard public welfare and ensure sustainable economic growth following geopolitical tensions in West Asia. These include securing essential supplies, containing price increases, supporting industries and strengthening economic resilience.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim explained that the performance of the Retirement Fund (Incorporated) (KWAP) should be assessed fairly after the pension fund recorded a net profit of RM12.9 billion. He acknowledged that its investment in eFishery had provided valuable lessons for future investment decisions.
The sitting was informed that Pos Malaysia would continue its transformation plan to reduce losses through network rationalisation, expansion of digital channels and prudent management. The government is studying the establishment of a Postal Service Fund as a long-term financing mechanism.
On July 23, the Dewan Negara was briefed on measures to strengthen national energy security. This included an assessment of the need for a strategic petroleum reserve, considering fiscal implications, operational requirements, governance structures and international best practices. The Economy Ministry said the recently concluded 20-year fuel supply agreement with Russia, covering petrol, diesel, crude oil and gas, complements the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
The government also announced that approved Japanese investments in Malaysia’s electrical and electronics (E&E) sector totalled RM10.5 billion across 46 projects between 2021 and 2025. They are expected to create 9,009 jobs and strengthen the country’s high-technology industrial development.
On July 27, Mohd Shahar said Malaysia remains on track to become one of the world’s 12 most competitive economies by the end of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). This is supported by the country’s improved ranking in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR). On the same day, the government said Bank Negara Malaysia would implement a new Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) for Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) from July 1, 2027. This aims to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of their development mandate, impact, governance and operational efficiency.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said the country’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem would continue to be driven by private sector participation. There would be no price control mechanism for public EV charging services. A total of 6,416 public EV chargers had been installed nationwide as of May 31.
Fiscal reform remained a key focus. The Finance Ministry reported that the federal fiscal deficit had narrowed for the fifth consecutive year following economic and fiscal reforms. Federal debt remained within the statutory limit. Liew also said expenditure controls during the first half of the year resulted in nearly RM5 billion in spending restrictions. This did not affect the delivery of critical public services, improving the efficiency of public financial management.
The President of the Dewan Negara adjourned the Second Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament to a date to be announced later.
