PETALING JAYA: Addressing cost of living issues and improving ease of doing business must not be just about short-term relief. It is about increasing wages and purchasing power,” he said, arguing that assistance programmes do not address stagnant wages. SME Association of Malaysia president Dr Chin Chee Seong said recent government initiatives provided only limited relief, with SMEs not seeing clear improvements. “It does not really change the ease of doing business,” he said. Chin also said cutting service tax on rental from 8% to 6% offered only marginal relief after the earlier hike.

Source: The Star January 13, 2026 14:29 UTC