Dr Lee Hwok-Aun is Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme, and Co-coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He was previously Senior Lecturer in development studies at the University of Malaya. He authored Affirmative Action in Malaysia and South Africa: Preference for Parity (Routledge, 2021), co-edited The Defeat of Barisan Nasional: Missed Signs or Late Surge? (ISEAS, 2019) and has written various ISEAS Perspective and Trends articles on Malaysia’s affirmative action, inequality, education and labour. He led an unprecedented field experiment on hiring discrimination, published as “Discrimination of high degrees: Race and graduate hiring in Malaysia” (Journal of the Asia-Pacific Economy, 2016).
CONTRIBUTORS
Lee Hwok-Aun
Articles by Lee Hwok-Aun (17)
The Covid-19 Recession: Rough Times for Young Malaysians
Lee Hwok-Aun|Kevin Zhang
The COVID-19 recession has compounded employment and income difficulties for Malaysia’s young workers. They experience higher unemployment and are more adversely impacted than other age groups in terms of wage decrease and under-employment. This has contributed to greater political restiveness among Malaysia’s youth.
Malaysia’s New PM: Bi-partisanship is Good, Non-partisanship Even Better
Lee Hwok-Aun
Malaysia’s new prime minister has called for public demonstrations of unity as the country goes through a difficult time of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic hardship. The country needs less a bi-partisan front and more a competent, dedicated and accountable administration.
Malaysia’s Covid-19 Response: Pressed to Be (in the) Present
Lee Hwok-Aun|Kevin Zhang
Pressed by short-term exigencies caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia is planning to raise Malaysia’s debt ceiling to 65 per cent of GDP. Another round of stimulus package might be on the cards.
Malaysia’s Pemerkasa+ Package: More Subsidies Might Be Needed
Lee Hwok-Aun
Malaysia’s recently-launched Pemerkasa+ aid package seeks to provide cash handouts to workers and income support to companies. If the economy suffers from financial hits to segments of the economy, rather than mass job losses, Malaysia would be better served with a structured reprise of higher per-worker subsidies for small companies.
Harnessing a Rising Economic Tide to Lift All Boats
Lee Hwok-Aun
As the Malaysian economy switches into recovery mode, the country must ensure that growth benefits all households, especially those at the bottom.