Kuala Lumpur, July 28 -- Malaysia's economy maintained strong momentum in the first half of 2026 despite persistent challenges from geopolitical uncertainty, trade pressures, volatile energy prices and disruptions to global supply chains. Speaking at the Ministry of Economy's conference on July 27, Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said preliminary estimates showed the economy expanded by 5.8% in the second quarter of 2026, lifting growth for the first six months of the year to 5.6%, up from 4.5% in the same period of 2025. The performance exceeded market expectations and was above the 4.7% full-year growth forecast for Malaysia in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s World Economic Outlook released in July 2026. Inflation remained u...