Government announces work from home starting April 15 as a move to save fuel

SITI NUR ZAWANI

The government has agreed to implement work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for the public sector and government-linked companies (GLCs) effective April 15 as a proactive measure to address the global energy crisis.

In a video message, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim  said, the purpose of this initiative is to save fuel consumption and ensure the sustainability of the country’s energy supply, which has been affected by the conflict in West Asia.

He said, tensions involving Israel, the US and Iran have disrupted global supply chains, but Malaysia has so far managed to remain resilient by maintaining the price of RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre.

He stressed that even if conditions ease, complacency must be avoided, warning that any society, whether a family or a nation, that becomes too comfortable and takes matters lightly, risks encountering greater challenges in the future.

“We must accept the reality that the situation is not as usual. If circumstances are worrying, then we must respond accordingly and adhere to our plans,” he said in the video message.

Anwar said the government is cushioning the impact of the global energy crisis through the People’s Support Initiative, with an additional allocation of RM4 billion per month to absorb rising global oil costs and ensure the public is not burdened by sudden price increases

“Further details will be announced later. At the same time, I want to stress that the government is taking steps to cushion the impact of the global energy crisis through initiatives to support the people,” he said.

The prime minister added that from his conversations with the leaders of Iran, Gulf nations as well as Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto, they were all expecting the fallout from the Middle East conflict to worsen.

“They all stated that they expected the situation to get worse before recovery can begin, and that will surely take much longer.

“This would surely affect the global supply chain, especially in the energy sector, and Malaysia is not exempted. We should be thankful that we entered this phase with a relatively more stable economy, allowing us to maintain the subsidised RON95 price at RM1.99 per litre,” he said.

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