LEMON BLOG

Malaysia's government is taking another step in refining how subsidies are delivered, with a new proposal that could combine the MyKasih system and the MyKad to manage targeted diesel subsidies more efficiently. The idea reflects the government's ongoing effort to ensure subsidies reach the people who truly need them, while reducing leakages and improving transparency in the system.

If you're planning to balik kampung, visit relatives, or just escape the city for a couple of days, here's a small but very real win for your wallet: the government has announced a 50% toll discount for Chinese New Year travel, happening on 14 and 15 February. Those two days fall on the weekend right before Chinese New Year, which is usually when highways start getting busy with people moving around.

For the past couple of years, Malaysia's data centre story has mostly been framed as a win: big names coming in, billions in investment, and a growing reputation as a regional hub for cloud and AI infrastructure. But in Johor, that narrative has now met its first very public speed bump.

If you've been wondering whether PADU is "still a thing" after the whole targeted subsidy conversation, the short answer is: yes — and Putrajaya is about to widen what it's used for.

If you've been following the Malaysia–Singapore border tech updates lately, you've probably seen three names floating around that sound like they do the exact same thing: MyBorderPass, MyNIISe, and MyDigital ID. Add QR code autogates into the mix, and it's easy to assume the government built three "passport apps" that overlap.