Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is considering dissolving parliament for a general election, well ahead of the early-2028 deadline, to seek a fresh mandate before potential fuel subsidy reductions force higher prices on consumers, Bloomberg reported on April 24. Malaysia's monthly fuel subsidy has surged nearly tenfold to around $1.8 billion since the Iran war began, as the federal government continues to maintain subsidized RON95 petrol at around $0.50 per liter for Malaysian citizens.

Anwar's reform agenda includes a plan to rationalize Malaysia's broad fuel subsidy system by moving to more targeted support, including rolling back blanket diesel subsidies, which will cost drivers at the pump and therefore pose a major political risk. The current system weighs heavily on the public purse, all the more so since the Iran war has sharply raised the cost of keeping petrol prices low.