KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — From political showdowns and policy implementation to major cultural and sporting events, here’s what to watch in the year ahead for Malaysians.
National spending, Umno plans
First and foremost, 2026 marks the beginning of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) with the theme of “Melakar Semula Pembangunan”, outlining how the government plans to spend on the country’s development for the next five years until 2030.
In January, the anticipated 2025 Umno General Assembly will take place from January 14 to 17.
As a coalition partner in the current administration, Umno is under the spotlight over whether it will continue cooperating with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and if the alliance will survive beyond the next general election, slated for early 2028.
The Melaka state election is scheduled for December, offering an early gauge of public support for the government and opposition ahead of the next general election.
School starts soon
The academic calendar for national and government-aided schools will also return to a January start, reverting to the pre-pandemic schedule after prolonged closures and a March opening introduced from the 2021/2022 session following the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
Visit Malaysia 2026 will also kick off in style, with Malaysia targeting 45 million international visitor arrivals to boost tourism revenue and GDP contribution through curated travel packages, cultural experiences, eco-tourism and major festivals.
New laws, new punishments
As for law enforcement, several laws are set to come into effect such as the Online Safety Act and the community service order for littering offences.
The Online Safety Act aims to strengthen user safety on social media platforms, requiring providers to obtain a licence and take proactive measures to curb harmful content on their platforms, or face potential enforcement action.
Meanwhile, community service orders will serve as an alternative punishment for individuals caught littering or spitting in public places around the capital, who may face compounds of up to RM2,000 in addition to more than 12 hours of community service over six months.
Existing traffic summonses, compound rates and payment methods will also be standardised between the Road Transport Department and the police under a new structure.
Under the new “less you delay, the less you pay” system, traffic summonses will be standardised, with 50 per cent off if paid within 15 days, 33 per cent off between 16 to 30 days, full payment between 31 to 60 days and court action or blacklisting for delays beyond 60 days.
Send in your e-invoices
In addition, mandatory implementation of the e-invoicing system will be extended to businesses with annual sales of between RM1 million and RM5 million as part of tax digitalisation efforts come January 1.
For sports, Kuala Lumpur will host the 2026 Malaysia Open, officially the Petronas Malaysia Open 2026, welcoming the sport’s elite for a week of top-level competition from January 6 to 11 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil with total prize money of US$1.45 million (RM5.88 million).
Malaysia is also set to make history by debuting as host of the 2026 Petanque World Championships (Men’s Triples and Precision Shooting), a move that could raise the nation’s profile in the global boules arena, aligning with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and showcasing world-class facilities such as Arena Petanque KL.
For the first time, Kuala Lumpur will host the 10th World Bonsai Convention at Pavilion Bukit Jalil from August 28 to 31, welcoming over 1,000 bonsai enthusiasts from around the world.