‘Stubborn Malaysia’ in the way of reform and growth, say economists

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s persistent stubbornness has gotten in the way of important reforms that have long been mooted but never executed, economists say.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia, Noor Azlan Ghazali, head of the economics and management cluster of the National Council of Professors, said the pandemic has laid bare problems that have needed addressing for decades, but have lingered due to this inflexibility at various levels.

“Report after report, blueprint after blueprint … anyone proposing another study should forget about it, we all pretty much know what needs to be done for the country,” he said.

Noor Azlan noted that recommendations like boosting competitiveness, creating high-skill jobs and closing the income gap have been on the docket for years, but were never properly addressed.

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