MELAKA, Oct 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) to ensure that Malaysia’s economic growth translates into tangible benefits for households, particularly through measures to ease cost-of-living pressures, as reported by Bernama.

He said stronger economic performance must be accompanied by efforts to address the financial challenges faced by Malaysians and improve their purchasing power.

“We are proud when the economy surges, but we must also consider whether that economic growth can solve the people’s problems,” he said at the Sentuhan Kasih MADANI programme, where he launched the National Cost of Living Action Plan 2030 (NCLAP30) at Stadium Hang Jebat in Krubong today.

The five-year action plan aims to strengthen household resilience against rising living costs through measures to increase income and stabilise prices of essential goods and services.

NCLAP30 outlines 35 strategies and 429 initiatives spanning eight key areas: income, food, healthcare, education, transport, housing, utilities and other cost-of-living concerns.

The initiatives will be implemented through existing and enhanced programmes, alongside new measures involving various ministries, government agencies and strategic partners.

Anwar also highlighted the role of the MADANI Rahmah Sales Programme (PJRM) in helping consumers manage household expenses by offering essential goods at lower prices.

He said the programme had been extended to communities across urban and rural areas, including remote locations.

The implementation of NCLAP30 is expected to provide a coordinated framework for addressing cost-of-living challenges, with emphasis on household income, essential expenditure and price stability.

The plan places affordability and consumer welfare at the centre of the government’s efforts to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are felt more widely by the population.