Malaysia And The Developing World

As Malaysia's economy grows and flourishes, strong new links are being forged with other developing countries in the region and beyond. This book examines these new links. It argues that as many countries with which Malaysia has new links are Indian Ocean countries, many of them Muslim countries, a new style trading network is being formed, a network with Islamic characteristics, which echoes Indian Ocean Islamic trading networks of earlier times.

The Malaysian economy is developing fast within the context of increasing globalization. The book analyses in depth Malaysia's policies aimed at promoting international trade, economic growth and social welfare. It also studies Malaysia's position in the Southeast Asia region and in a global context. This analysis forms the basis for the formulation of an alternative development strategy, whose aim is producing a caring civil society and enhancing the general welfare of the population while developing the economy.

"Malaysia ranks among the most dynamic of the high-growth Southeast Asian economies, but the prospects for Malaysian success have not always seemed so positive. When Malaysia became independent in 1957, it was a poor and deeply troubled country. With weak political and economic structures, it faced the added threat of a Communist Insurgency. Though the decades since have not been kind to many developing countries, Malaysia has managed to avoid the pitfalls that beset others, and has initiated far-reaching policies designed to restructure its society, alleviate poverty, and promote economic growth. With stable government and a vigorous economy, Malaysia today is among the great success stories of East Asian development."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This book examines the various economic, political and developmental policy challenges that Malaysia faces in its shift from a middle income to high-income economy. It covers subjects such as technology, education and skills, the promotion of entrpreneurship, social, monetary policy and governance issues.

Economic Development in Ghana and Malaysia investigates why two countries that appeared to be at more or less the same stage of economic development at one point in time have diverged so substantially. At the time of their independence from the UK in 1957, both Ghana and Malaysia were at roughly the same stage of economic development; in fact, Ghana’s real per capita income was slightly ahead of Malaysia’s. Since then, Ghana’s development has been sluggish, while Malaysia’s economy has taken off into sustained growth and today, the real per capita income of Malaysia is about five times that of Ghana. This volume examines the pre-colonial and colonial economies of both countries, and the economic policies pursued after independence. In doing so, it aims to identify policies which might have contributed to Malaysia’s development and those which might have slowed Ghana’s. The authors ask whether lessons can be learned from the successes of countries such as Malaysia. This detailed comparative analysis will be useful to students and researchers of development economics as well as public policy makers in developing countries. It is written in language which makes it accessible to the general reader.

This book examines the various economic, political and developmental policy challenges that Malaysia faces in her shift from a middle income to high-income economy. This issue is of great interest to academics, policy makers and development practitioners in the developing world, particularly in middle-income economies where there is a widespread concern about the challenges of managing such a transition. Malaysia is one of the developing world's greatest success stories. The book argues that as one of the developing world's most open economies, with a reputation for prudent macroeconomic management, Malaysia has achieved consistent growth since independence. It has moved from a largely resource-based economy to a multinational-led, export-oriented, industrial economy. Despite this success, Malaysia, like other developing countries, is currently at a crossroads in its development strategy; it is in danger of being unable to graduate to the level of more advanced economies - such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore - but with the basis of its success at risk from competition from efficient, lower-wage countries - such as China, India and Vietnam. Moreover, there are new threats to the political stability and affirmative action programmes which have successfully held together a very racially diverse population.

"Malaysia has long had an ambivalent relationship to globalization. A shining example of export-led growth and the positive role for foreign investment, the country's political leadership has also expressed skepticism about the prevailing international political and economic order. In this compelling collection, Nelson, Meerman and Rahman Embong bring together a group of Malaysian and foreign scholars to dissect the effects of globalization on Malaysian development over the long-run. They consider the full spectrum of issues from economic and social policy to new challenges from transnational Islam, and are unafraid of voicing skepticism where the effects of globalization are overblown. Malaysia is surprisingly understudied in comparative context; this volume remedies that, and provides an overview of a country undergoing important political change." – Stephan Haggard, Krause Professor, Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California, San Diego

"This book presents the collectives views of the participants at that Symposium and puts forward their practical suggestions, based on personal experience of the problems of developing regions, on how more effective strategies may be achieved" -- Back cover.