ARTICLES

20 Jan 2022

Seeing Red over Rising Prices for Greens

Amirul Adli Rosli

Malaysian netizens are seeing red over the government’s handling of rising prices for daily necessities. The reality is that much of the recent price hikes are due to factors beyond the government’s control.

17 Jan 2022

Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund: An Emergency Populist Fund?

Lee Hwok-Aun

Hard questions must be asked of Malaysia’s depletion of workers’ hard-earned retirement savings. Was it justified to permissively sacrifice future income for present consumption? Did political interest thump economic analysis?

Malaysia Malaysian Economy Malaysian Politics UMNO

5 Nov 2021

Malaysia’s National Trade Blueprint: Mind the Gap

Tham Siew Yean

Malaysia’s newly unveiled National Trade Blueprint seeks to arrest the country’s downward slide in global export rankings. But its prescriptions may fall short of what is needed in today’s environment.

Malaysia Malaysian Economy Non-Tariff Barriers

22 Oct 2021

The Twelfth Malaysia Plan: Time for a Reset?

Lee Hwok-Aun

The 12th Malaysia Plan, a key planning document for the country's development, has been expedited through Parliament with no debate. The process of formulating the plan needs a reset.

Economic Development Malaysia Malaysian Economy Malaysian Politics

28 Sep 2021

Ratifying the RCEP to Reset Malaysia’s Economy

Tham Siew Yean

Malaysia needs to move fast to ratify two free trade deals to reset its economy, which has been impacted by political instability and the Covid-19 pandemic. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a priority.

Asean Trade Malaysia Malaysian Economy RCEP

8 Sep 2021

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.

COVID-19 Malaysian Economy

14 Jul 2021

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.

COVID-19 Malaysia Malaysian Economy Malaysian Politics

17 Jun 2021

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.

COVID-19 Malaysia Malaysian Economy

28 May 2021

Malaysia’s Federal and State Government Vaccine Drives: Too Many Cooks?

Francis E. Hutchinson

Due to the federal government’s slow vaccination rate, some state governments have stepped into the breach to inoculate their populations. Their collective experience thus far has been somewhat patchy.

COVID-19 Health Malaysia Malaysian Economy

27 May 2021

COVID-19 Measures in Malaysia: Resentment and Rancour Brewing on the Ground

Serina Rahman

As the government rolls out stricter measures to control the spread of COVID-19, it is unfortunate that some people on the ground blame the authorities for their incompetence instead of working together to break the back of the virus.

COVID-19 Health Malaysia Malaysian Economy Religion