With the government targeting up to 5.2% GDP growth and narrowing the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of GDP, questions remain over how long-term fiscal consolidation can be sustained as government revenue isn’t keeping pace with the size of the economy and debt-servicing costs stay elevated. UOB Malaysia Senior Economist Julia Goh joins The Breakfast Grille to go beneath the headline numbers.

She evaluates middle-income tax reliefs, the durability of the AI and data centre investment cycle, domestic supply chain integration, indirect tax shifts, and whether potential inflation and rising fixed operating costs threaten the government's medium-term fiscal goals.