16/03/2026

MONDAY | MAR 16, 2026

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WFH can help ease living costs, say employees

Council to study impact of conflict on transportation

JOHOR BAHRU: The National Economic Action Council will meet today to study the impact of the West Asia conflict on transportation, particularly aviation, and to plan measures to safeguard Malaysia’s oil and gas supply. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, would be attended by industry players and representatives of relevant ministries. “We want to assess the country’s oil supply capacity and the mitigation measures needed to ensure continued supply. We will also focus on industries affected by disruptions to global oil supply,” he said after attending the Jualan Rahmah Kasih Sayang programme in Johor Bahru yesterday. The conflict threatens global oil and gas supply, with passage via the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane, at risk. “Disruption of oil and gas supplies can be viewed from several angles. Foremost is the direct impact on petroleum-based products such as petrol, diesel and other goods that use oil as a base material. “When oil supply is disrupted it increases the production costs of goods that rely on oil as part of their input and output processes.” He said such disruptions would also affect logistics, transport and supply chains, potentially pushing up prices. “Although we managed to contain inflation at around 1.4% for 2025, we may see inflationary pressures ahead due to rising oil related costs.” – Bernama RON95 subsidy costs govt RM2b monthly KOTA KINABALU: The government has to allocate a subsidy of RM2 billion per month to maintain the price of RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre through the Budi Madani RON95 initiative following the surge in world crude oil prices, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said the price maintenance is expected to involve a total subsidy of RM24 billion per year to be borne by the government to ensure that the people are not burdened. Anwar said apart from maintaining RON95 petrol as among the cheapest in the world, the government would also continue to bear the diesel subsidy in Sabah and Sarawak, with the price set at RM2.15 per litre compared with the actual cost of RM4.30 per litre. “Last year, the diesel subsidy for Sabah and Sarawak was RM2 billion. But so far this year after the war, the price soared and the government has to pay RM4.6 billion per year (an estimate if current prices remain) to cover the diesel subsidy in both states. “This (price maintenance) is what we are doing. The chief minister (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) himself has requested that hard-working Sabahans not be burdened (with increased transport costs),“ he said when speaking at the opening of the National Consumer Day 2026 celebration yesterday. Anwar said Malaysia strongly opposes military intervention and attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran. “The tension has caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz which has resulted in international merchant ships being stranded, thus increasing the cost of transportation and insurance.” Anwar said he is grateful that Malaysia remains peaceful, prosperous and an example of a moderate country to the extent that leaders of other nations have contacted Malaysia to seek its views towards resolving the Middle East conflict. – Bernama

a month, and that doesn’t even include toll or parking fees. “Even one or two days of WFH each week would make a huge difference to my budget. If this is applied to others also the cost savings would be huge.” Kamarul said flexible working arrangements are not a luxury but a necessary step to counter rising living costs. “Ignoring this risks deepening the inequality between urban and suburban employees, particularly for those who must travel long distances daily.” Despite such views, the MEF is of the view that fuel savings from WFH or staggered hours would be marginal. Kamarul countered that it misses a crucial point – petrol costs are borne directly by workers, not employers. Calls for flexible working options are emerging regionally, with countries like Thailand and Vietnam encouraging WFH to offset the impact of Middle East tensions on petrol and energy supply.

o For countless commuters petrol drain on tight monthly budgets and daily grind in endless traffic test to sanity

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

same pressures. In a

recent conference, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government is considering WFH arrangements for the public sector, with an official decision expected tomorrow (March 17). Kamarul (not his real name) said WFH could be a huge relief for him but questioned why private-sector employers are averse to offering the same flexibility. “It’s great news for me if we get WFH but my sisters, who are in the private sector, are always complaining about their daily commutes. “I live in Shah Alam and travel to Putrajaya every day. That’s nearly 60km round trip. Petrol alone costs me over RM250 media

PETALING JAYA: While the Malaysian Employers’ Federation (MEF) recently said work-from-home (WFH) arrangements would not be the best solution to mitigate rising living costs due to higher global oil prices, many Malaysians say that viewpoint is out of touch with reality, and painfully so. For countless commuters petrol is a monthly drain on already tight budgets. Workers argue that dismissing WFH as insignificant also ignores the daily grind of millions trapped in endless traffic. “I’m burning nearly RM300 a month just to get to work and back,“ said Liyana (not her real name), a corporate employee in Kuala Lumpur. “During peak hours the traffic is unbearable. Every extra ringgit for petrol hits hard. At my previous company we had the WFH option a few days a week during the pandemic, and it saved me not just money but also my sanity. “It’s frustrating, even maddening, that some think this wouldn’t make a real difference.” Liyana said while petrol subsidies like Budi95 offer some relief, the constant commuting takes a toll on both finances and wellbeing. “It’s not just petrol. Being stuck in traffic every day wears down your car and adds to maintenance costs. “My job doesn’t require me to be physically in the office all the time. Technology now makes WFH entirely feasible, yet sometimes we’re forced to just show up and stare at a screen for hours with little productive output. “Hybrid work or staggered hours wouldn’t just save fuel but also save time, reduce stress and make employees more productive.” Similarly, Siti Farhana Mohd Zainal, 32, a marketing executive in Kuala Lumpur, said many companies could adopt partial WFH without disrupting operations. “People talk about operational feasibility but during Covid most office-based work was done remotely without problems. “I saved about RM300 a month on petrol and parking. That’s real money for workers.” Public-sector employees face the

Kamarul said flexible working arrangements are not a luxury but a necessary measure to counter rising living costs. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

‘Proactive measures in place for fiscal stability’ KUALA LUMPUR: The government has taken strong, proactive fiscal measures to keep the economy stable if the crisis in West Asia continues, said senior political adviser to the Prime Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. still priced at RM1.99. “It’s backed by government subsidies, without which fuel prices would have risen. This reflects the government’s care,” he said at the Singgah Sahur programme with frontliners at Ampang Jaya district police headquarters yesterday.

three years.” He said the 2022 oil price surge showed that the government could maintain subsidies without straining the public. On March 11, in a special media conference on the conflict, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia’s oil supply is secure, with Budi Madani RON95 kept at RM1.99 per litre despite higher market prices. Earlier, Tengku Zafrul distributed over 300 food packs and baskets to frontliners at the district police headquarters, Pandan Indah police station, Pandan Fire and Rescue station and Ampang Hospital. – Bernama

He said the measures include savings initiatives and retention of fuel subsidies to help ease cost of living. He added that the public should not be misled by claims that the government is unprepared or using the issue for political gain. “Even with global fuel prices rising, RON95, particularly Budi Madani RON95, is

He said the government has held two Cabinet meetings to prepare for the impact of the West Asia crisis, adding that each ministry had been asked to make early plans for swift action if the crisis persists. “Economically, the country’s position is still strong, thanks to strengthened fundamentals over the past two to