Syahir claimed that a 5.9% GDP rate was presented to Istana Negara, based on the king’s address earlier this month, while Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) announcement on Feb 13 stated a 5.1% growth.

“Someone in Putrajaya, be it the economy minister, finance minister or the Prime Minister’s Office, must step forward and explain this glaring discrepancy.

“Who was responsible for approving the 5.9% figure and why does it differ from the central bank’s figure?” he asked in a statement.

He said this matter was raised in the Dewan Rakyat by Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim and Temerloh MP Salamiah Nor, but was not addressed by the economy minister.

“In the spirit of accountability — to uphold the dignity of Parliament and Istana Negara, as well as the integrity of the country’s official economic data — the public deserves an explanation and a formal clarification from Putrajaya,” Syahir said.

Last Thursday, BNM announced that Malaysia’s economy grew by 5.1% last year after rounding out the year with a 5% gross domestic product growth in the final quarter.

The central bank said this was a significant increase compared with the 3.6% GDP growth recorded in 2023, though the 5% growth in Q4 was slightly lower than the 5.4% recorded in the previous quarter.