ASIA

WoodMac says populist Mahathir's policies create uncertainty; gas demand soft

WOOD Mackenzie analyst Edi Saputra says the recent election of populist nonagenarian Dr Mahathir Mohamad will have an impact on Malaysia's energy landscape through initiatives such as the scrapping of the nation's goods and services tax, re-introduction of a petrol subsidy for targeted groups, and possibly higher royalty payments for the oil and gas producing states such as Sabah and Sarawak.