METMalaysia issued thunderstorm, heavy rain, and strong wind warnings for multiple Malaysian states including Sarawak, Sabah, Labuan, and Peninsular Malaysia through mid to late June 28, 2026, covering areas such as Kuching, Serian, Bau, Miri in Sarawak and Kuala Penyu, Sandakan, Keningau in Sabah [1, 2, 3, 4].
Warnings extended to southern Thailand, where the Malaysian Consulate General in Songkhla warned Malaysians and travelers of heavy to very heavy rain from June 28 to July 3, 2026. The consulate advised vigilance and avoiding travel to at-risk natural areas due to flash floods, landslides, and rough seas [5, 6]. The consulate urged, "Malaysians in Thailand and those looking to visit the country, especially areas that have been identified as at-risk, are therefore advised to remain vigilant, monitor the latest weather updates, and adhere to instructions and advices issued by Thai authorities from time to time" [5].
Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan announced a RM500 million rationalisation of the Health Ministry's operating expenditure but confirmed core healthcare services and reforms, including the Medical and Health Insurance/Takaful (MHIT) Plan and RESET strategy, will not be affected. He said, "The adjustment only involves non-critical operating expenditure. Core spending on healthcare services, medicines, salaries and on-call allowances remains unchanged" [7, 8, 9]. The RESET strategy aims to control rising healthcare costs through measures like diagnosis-related group payments, digital health, price transparency, and standardised hospital charges [7, 8, 9].
The MHIT pilot phase will start by the end of July 2026 in selected Klang Valley hospitals with full rollout expected in January 2027 [8, 9].
In transport, from July 1, 2026, the Pemandu Sihat dan Selamat initiative will subsidise medical examinations for about 30,000 commercial vehicle drivers aged 40 to 59, cutting costs from RM85 to RM30. Transport Minister Anthony Loke noted rises in commercial driver fatalities, stating, "Fatalities involving commercial vehicle drivers increased by 22.3 per cent to 115 cases in 2025 compared to only 94 cases in the previous year" [10].
Also on July 1, new Malaysian passports with enhanced security and options for 5 or 10-year validity will be issued. Datuk Zakaria Shaaban urged, "We appeal to Malaysians not to rush to change their passports. If your current passport is still valid, continue using it until it expires" [11]. Additionally, minimum cost regulations introduced will set a RM200,000 floor price for fully imported electric vehicles to promote local assembly; locally assembled EVs are exempt [11, 12].
METMalaysia issued initial warnings on June 28 for several states through the afternoon or early evening, but sources differ on exact duration and affected areas, with warnings ranging from noon to 7pm and covering from six states including Kedah, Melaka, Penang, Negri Sembilan to detailed spots in Sarawak and Sabah [1, 2, 3, 4].
The next key milestone is the medical insurance pilot in Klang Valley hospitals scheduled by the end of July 2026, followed by the nationwide MHIT rollout and passport and transport initiatives starting July 1.
