KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 -- Malaysia's rising cost of living continues to put pressure on low-income households and the working poor despite an increase in average household income, Economy Minister Akmal Nasir Nasrullah said.

In a written parliamentary reply to Pengkalan Chepa MP Datuk Dr Ahmad Marzuk Shaary, Akmal Nasir said data from the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2024 showed that average household income rose from RM8,479 in 2022 to RM9,155 in 2024.

This increase represents annual growth of 3.8 per cent.

"Overall, data from the Poverty Line Income (PGK), Cost of Living Expenditure (PAKW) and Household Cost of Living Index (IKSH) by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) confirm that rising prices of essential go...