KUALA LUMPUR — Beginning this month, Malaysian government employees will transition to remote work as the nation strives to lower energy expenses amid rising fuel prices stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, announced Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The new work-from-home policy will come into effect on April 15 and will impact staff at various ministries, government agencies, and state-owned enterprises.

"Our goal is to minimize fuel consumption and ensure the sustainability of energy resources," Anwar stated in a press release on Wednesday (April 1).

Further details regarding the policy will be provided at a later date.

Anwar also mentioned that initiatives by state oil company Petronas and others are ongoing to secure fuel and power supplies.

Additionally, Malaysia plans to intensify efforts to combat the spread of misinformation regarding the energy crisis on social media, he added.

The Malaysian government is currently incurring nearly US$1 billion (S$1.2 billion) each month on subsidy measures to maintain low retail fuel prices.

In a separate announcement on Wednesday, the finance ministry revealed a fourth consecutive weekly rise in unsubsidized diesel prices, while other transportation fuels, such as RON97 petrol, experienced a slight decrease in prices.