While drafting the Sunday newsletter, it’s heartening to see that a Budget 2026-related scoop I published a few weeks ago have since been confirmed.
Sources, you rawk.
Scoops are always tough and tiring to write, but when they land and then come to pass… that feeling is kinda cool. I’m just getting too old to ride that rollercoaster.
Today’s post-Budget commentary follows Friday’s newsletter. There were five “untouchable” money-and-power items, and I’ll update whether Budget 2026 made any progress on them.
I’ll also give a general overview of what to expect, a note on Malaysia’s govtech unit, and finish with what’s in store for startup founders and VCs — my favourite topics.
But first, Friday’s scoop for an ICYMI:
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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled a federal budget of RM470 billion on Friday, up 14% on this year’s revised figure of RM412.1 billion.
But, not all of the money is coming out of government coffers.
Some of it is being paid for by government-linked investment companies (GLICs) and their investees, with RM30 billion mobilised under the GEAR-uP programme, alongside contributions from public-private partnerships and federal statutory bodies.
It’s worth remembering that not all allocations are fresh. Some are rolled over and snowball year to year.
There’s no proper report card — especially on investments — so gaps abound.
The smartest way to read the Budget is between the lines: policy direction and national aspiration. And the government isn’t legally bound to fulfil its Budget pledges.
Let’s get to it: