This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 12, 2026 - October 18, 2026

The tabling of Budget 2027 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Friday will be followed by policy-level debates in parliament starting on Monday. Invariably, tax experts will also go through the proposals with a fine-tooth comb and analyse its impact on the country and businesses and consumers alike.

Advance data for Malaysia’s third quarter (3Q) 2026 gross domestic product (GDP) will be released on Oct 16.

In the palm oil sector, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board will be releasing production, trade and stock numbers for September on Monday, Oct 12. All eyes will be on whether the total palm oil stocks will breach the three million tonne level amid elevated prices, higher production and declining exports. In August, total stocks came in at 2.82 million tonnes.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Monetary Policy Statement will be released on Oct 14 together with the Ministry of Energy, Trade & Industry’s issue of advance 3Q GDP data.

“Our economist, Jester Koh, expects the MAS to tighten monetary policy further in this meeting via another ‘very slight’ slope-steepening move (+25 basis points [bps]), taking the S$NEER slope to 1.5% per annum, although he acknowledges that the decision will be a very close call,” says UOB Global Economics & Markets Research economist Alvin Liew in a report last Friday, adding the next major data release will be September non-oil domestic exports on Oct 16.

There are no major Asia-Pacific central banks with monetary policy decisions over the week; however, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will release the minutes of its September meeting on Oct 13 and September jobs report on Oct 15.

China will release a slew of economic data including September money supply, aggregate financing and yuan new loans data from Oct 9 to 15. It will also put out September external trade, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) data on Oct 14.

India is due to release its September CPI on Oct 12 and September external trade data from Oct 14 to 16. Japan’s key data will be its PPI for September on Oct 13. and final August industrial production and core machine orders on Oct 15.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank will hold their 2026 annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, from Oct 12 to 18, with US Federal Reserve (Fed) chairman Kevin Warsh attending with other central bank chiefs from major and regional economies.

The IMF will release the updated World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report on Oct 14 and the Fed will release the latest Beige Book report the following day. Thereafter, the Fed will enter the external communications blackout period from Oct 17 (Sat) to Oct 30.

A key focus in the US will be the corporate earnings reporting season with 38 S&P 500 companies among 364 US companies reporting during the week of Oct 14 to 17, with major US banks reporting from Oct 13 onwards.

There is a substantial US economic data docket next week, including the preliminary University of Michigan consumer sentiment for October on Oct 9; National Federation of Independent Business small business optimism for September and US existing home sales on Oct 13; federal budget balance for September from Oct 13 to 20; US September CPI and core CPI on Oct 14; as well as import and export price indices for September and September industrial production on Oct 16.

Over at the courts, the civil suit over a land deal brought by the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and Felda Investment Corporation Sdn Bhd (FIC) against Synergy Promenade Sdn Bhd and 21 former directors and officials — including former chairmen Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad and Tan Sri Shahrir Samad — will continue over Monday to Thursday at the KL High Court.

On Oct 13, the High Court will hear Perikatan Nasional’s leave application for judicial review of the Registrar of Societies’ order suspending the political coalition’s activities.  

The next day, the High Court will hear Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s urgent application to stay the execution of his 15-year prison sentence and RM11.38 billion fine in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd-Tanore Finance Corp case. Najib is seeking to pause the penalties until all avenues of appeal are exhausted. The application is scheduled to be heard before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin.

Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.

P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play.