Kuala Lampur, April 22 -- For a child going to school on an empty stomach, an economic crisis is not a statistic - it is hunger, fatigue, and lost opportunity.

Malaysia is navigating one of its most complex economic shocks in a generation and across the country, more families are being pushed into harsh realities as economic pressures intensify.

Since the conflict in West Asia closed the Strait of Hormuz in late February, fuel prices have surged and food costs have risen. Formal-sector job losses in the first quarter of 2026 reached 24,100 - a 47 per cent jump over the same period last year.

The federal government has moved to shield Malaysians from rising fuel costs through the BUDI 95 subsidy, while extending diesel subsidies to key ...