KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians will benefit from wider access to affordable essentials, improved distribution in rural areas and stronger consumer protection under the 2027 Budget, as the government steps up efforts to address the rising cost of living.

The RM80 billion allocation for aid, subsidies and incentives aims to ease financial pressures on households while supporting businesses, rural entrepreneurs and the creative industry.

The measures, backed by additional funding for affordable sales programmes and enforcement, intends to make essential goods more accessible, improve market fairness and create new economic opportunities.

The allocation for the Program Jualan Rahmah Madani (PJRM) and Program Jualan Agro Madani will increase from RM630 million to RM750 million, supporting 35,000 sales events nationwide.