If secularism is understood as the strict separation of religion from governance, then Malaysia would appear to be the antithesis of a a secular state. Only Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Maldives have higher levels of state regulation. In Malaysia, the law requires Muslims to attend Friday prayer, to fast during Ramadan, and to abide by the halal dietary restrictions all year long.
Policies / Others
Malaysia’s record of engagement with the World Bank
Introduction by CPI Members of the public may be interested to know the details of engagement between the World Bank and Malaysia, especially given what many view as Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent attempt to rewrite the history of this engagement during his tenure as prime minister from 1981 to 2003. The Malaysian policy on public … Read more
The IMF report card on Malaysia
Background The IMF, under Article IV of its Articles of Agreement, holds bilateral discussions annually with its Member countries. These discussions are in the nature of a review of member country economic policies, recent economic developments, IMF staff assessments of prospects and the presentation of policy recommendations. A report is then prepared for presentation … Read more
The State and Industrial Relations in Developing countries: The Malaysian Situation
A synthetic model of the variety of industrial relations experiences is used to evaluate the types of role the state can play in the industrial relations of a group of Third World countries such as ASEAN. Such an approach avoids the unilinear and reductionist approaches of the right and the left, which by assimilating the … Read more
Economic Development in Malaya
This article comments on the book ‘The Political Economy of Independent Malaya,’ edited by T.H. Silcock and E.K. Fisk. Communal and party structure; Rural economy and rural development policy; Balance of payment problems. [Download]
Regional Inequalities And Economic Growth In Malaysia
The article examines the impact of regional disparities on Malaysia’s national economic growth. These disparities are visibly predominant in the agricultural sector, followed by the manufacturing and service industries. In recognition of the inequalities, the Malaysian government has adopted balanced regional development as the main objective of its development program. In an attempt to attain … Read more