THE government is expected to table the draft of the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) in Parliament on 28 July, according to Unity Government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the Cabinet received a briefing on the draft plan from the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economy, Datuk Nor Azmie Diron, during today’s post-Cabinet meeting.
“Ministers have been presented with a summary of the draft, which is scheduled for tabling in the upcoming parliamentary session this July.
“The Prime Minister has directed all ministries to study the draft and submit their feedback to the Ministry of Economy in the near future, ahead of its finalisation for presentation in Parliament,” Fahmi told reporters.
Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also serves as Finance Minister, said RMK13 (2026–2030) would mark a turning point in the government’s efforts to address key national economic challenges.
He highlighted persistent issues such as development and income disparities, limited fiscal space, and the slow pace of structural economic transition as major hurdles the plan aims to tackle.
Online Safety Act Set for Enforcement Pending Final Draft Approval
On a separate matter, Fahmi said the Online Safety Act 2024 is expected to come into force in the near future, with the finalisation of several key regulatory steps currently underway, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil confirmed today.
The minister said he is awaiting the final draft of the Act from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which includes the proposed regulations to be adopted.
“Once the draft is ready and I sign the gazette to enforce the Act, then it will come into effect,” he stated at his weekly press briefing.
A committee will also be formed under the purview of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, to oversee the enforcement of the new law.
“This committee will have regulatory powers over the enforcement of the Act, such as defining what constitutes online harms,” Fahmi explained.
Azalina previously noted that the Act will only take effect once gazetted by the Communications Minister. The law is designed to allow for swift action against illegal content online and introduces a framework of responsibility for platform providers, including specific duties of care.
While the Online Safety Act focuses on platform accountability and digital regulation, Azalina emphasised that any matters involving children will continue to be addressed under the Child Act 2001.
In a separate development, Fahmi also announced that sign language interpreters would be more prominently featured in official proceedings to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwD).
“Insya-Allah, I will strive to ensure that sign language interpreters are not only present during Communications Ministry press conferences but also in upcoming parliamentary sessions and other areas. We want to highlight the role of sign language interpreters,” he said. - June 18, 2025
