Politics and Economic Reform in Malaysia

Malaysia’s admirable economic growth is often attributed to liberal, open economic policies. Aggregate measures of openness, however, often veil the way coalitional politics drove illiberal government intervention in the economy to correct ethnically based economic inequality, create national heavy industries, and favor politically well-connected entrepreneurs. A more nuanced analysis reveals a complex mix of liberal and illiberal economic policies designed to balance competing coalitional interests. These policies created a “dual economy” that successfully replaced growing political and social instability with rapid economic growth sufficient to support redistributive politics. Yet this same dual economy also slowed further reform and retarded technological development, leaving Malaysia mired in mediocrity: neither price competitive with China nor technologically competitive with Singapore, the East Asian NICs, or the OECD countries.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40041/3/wp655.pd

Politics and Economic Reform in Malaysia

Malaysia’s admirable economic growth is often attributed to liberal, open economic policies. Aggregate measures of openness, however, often veil the way coalitional politics drove illiberal government intervention in the economy to correct ethnically based economic inequality, create national heavy industries, and favor politically well-connected entrepreneurs. A more nuanced analysis reveals a complex mix of liberal and illiberal economic policies designed to balance competing coalitional interests. These policies created a “dual economy” that successfully replaced growing political and social instability with rapid economic growth sufficient to support redistributive politics. Yet this same dual economy also slowed further reform and retarded technological development, leaving Malaysia mired in mediocrity: neither price competitive with China nor technologically competitive with Singapore, the East Asian NICs, or the OECD countries.Malaysia, Economic Reform, Technological Upgrading, Coalitions, Dualism

Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing

The purpose of this research was to explore and predict the relationship between the competitive priorities (quality, cost, flexibility and delivery) and the competitive advantage of firms in the Jordanian Industrial Sector. A population of 88 Jordanian manufacturing firms, registered on the Amman Stock Exchange, was targeted using a cross-sectional survey employing a questionnaire method of data collection. The results of the data analysis indicate a significant relationship between competitive priorities and competitive advantage. The research suggests that recognising and nurturing this relationship provides the master key for a firm to survive in a turbulent environment. Therefore, operational and marketing strategies should place emphasis on competitive priorities such as quality, cost, flexibility and delivery to achieve, develop and maintain competitive advantage. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between the competitive priorities of Jordanian manufacturing firms and their competitive advantage

Integrasi realiti terimbuh (AR) dalam aktiviti mewarna

Mewarna merupakan salah satu kaedah pembelajaran yang digunakan untuk meningkatkan kemahiaran psikomotor dan kreativiti kanak-kanak. Namun begitu, kandungan yang disediakan di dalam buku mewarna adalah bersifat statik dan tidak menyediakan elemen-elemen dinamik seperti interaktiviti. Kanak-kanak mudah merasa bosan kerana tiada interaksi dua hala yang berlaku antara mereka dan karakter ketika proses mewarna dilakukan. Sebagai penambahbaikan terhadap permasalahan tersebut, satu aplikasi mewarna yang dinamakan Dr Bubble Coloring AR dibangunkan. Aplikasi ini menggunakan teknik realiti terimbuh (AR) yang diintegrasikan ke dalam aplikasi mewarna. Imej yang diwarnakan menjadi penanda untuk diimbas oleh peranti mudah alih lalu dipaparkan secara maya dalam bentuk tiga dimensi (3D). Aplikasi ini menyediakan bebutang interaksi bagi membolehkan pengguna berinteraksi dengan karakter serta mengesan objek yang diwarnakan di dalam buku mewarna. Secara keseluruhan, 75% responden sangat bersetuju aplikasi ini menarik dan menyeronokkan, manakala 84% responden sangat bersetuju keseluruhan aplikasi ini berfungsi dengan baik dan sempurna

Appropriate Economic Space for Transnational Infrastructural Projects: Gateways, Multimodal Corridors, and Special Economic Zones

This study addresses three questions that arise in Asia when formulating, financing, implementing, and maintaining transnational linkages versus purely domestic connections. Firstly, how is optimal economic space to be defined as a useful starting point? Secondly, how can relevant criteria be developed to define the emerging spatial economy and identify efficient transnational transport networks? Thirdly, what are the main investment opportunities in physical infrastructure that would result in more efficient and effective regional cooperation and integration (making special reference to the potential role of cross-border special economic zones (SEZs) or their equivalents)?asia transnational infrastructure; asia regional cooperation

National strategies for technology adoption in the industrial sector: Lessons of recent experience in the developing regions

human development, technology

Strategies for stimulating poverty-alleviating growth in the rural nonfarm economy in developing countries:

"The rural nonfarm economy (RNFE) accounts for roughly 25 percent of full-time rural employment and 35-40 percent of rural incomes across the developing world. This diverse collection of seasonal trading, household-based and large-scale agroprocessing, manufacturing and service activities plays a crucial role in sustaining rural populations, in servicing a growing and modern agriculture, and in supplying local consumer goods and services. In areas where landlessness prevails, rural nonfarm activity offers important economic alternatives for the rural poor....Three key groups currently intervene in the rural nonfarm economy: large private enterprises, non-profit promotional agencies and governments. Large modern corporations take investment, procurement and marketing decisions that powerfully shape opportunities in the rural nonfarm economy throughout much of the Third World...." The authors put forth three basic principles for policy makers who want to ensure equitable growth of the RNFE : (1) Identify key engines of regional growth; (2) Focus on subsector-specific supply chains; and (3) Build flexible institutional coalitions. They conclude that "a prosperous rural nonfarm economy can contribute to both aggregate economic growth and improved welfare of the rural poor." from Executive Summary.Poverty alleviation Developing countries., Rural population., Employment, Non-agricultural Rural areas., Manufacturing industries., Service industries.,

Trade Agreements: Impact on the U.S. Economy

[Excerpt] The United States is in the process of considering a number of trade agreements. In addition, the 111th Congress may address the issue of trade promotion authority (TPA), which expired on July 1, 2007. These agreements range from bilateral trade agreements with countries that account for meager shares of U.S. trade to multilateral negotiations that could affect large numbers of U.S. workers and businesses. During this process, Congress likely will be presented with an array of data estimating the impact of trade agreements on the economy, or on a particular segment of the economy. An important policy tool that can assist Congress in assessing the value and the impact of trade agreements is represented by sophisticated models of the economy that are capable of simulating changes in economic conditions. These models are particularly helpful in estimating the effects of trade liberalization in such sectors as agriculture and manufacturing where the barriers to trade are identifiable and subject to some quantifiable estimation. Barriers to trade in services, however, are proving to be more difficult to identify and, therefore, to quantify in an economic model. In addition, the models are highly sensitive to the assumptions that are used to establish the parameters of the model and they are hampered by a serious lack of comprehensive data in the services sector. Nevertheless, the models do provide insight into the magnitude of the economic effects that may occur across economic sectors as a result of trade liberalization. These insights are especially helpful in identifying sectors expected to experience the greatest adjustment costs and, therefore, where opposition to trade agreements is likely to occur. This report examines the major features of economic models being used to estimate the effects of trade agreements. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the models as an aid in helping Congress evaluate the economic impact of trade agreements on the U.S. economy. In addition, this report identifies and assesses some of the assumptions used in the economic models and how these assumptions affect the data generated by the models. Finally, this report evaluates the implications for Congress of various options it may consider as it assesses trade agreements

Emerging pattern of India's outward foreign direct investment under influence of state policy: A macro view

Emerging growth dynamism of Indian economy in rapidly globalising world is highly recognised and commented by a large body of researchers during the recent period. In fact, the Indian planning has made long concerted effort to develop strategic and competitive capabilities in the agents of production. During the recent periods, these capabilities have started paying. Such trends became more lucid with the strengthening of Indian capital especially abroad as the Indian capital has initiated collaborations and mergers with the global players. This study provides insights into such achievement of the Indian economy. Besides providing a review of theory and practice of emerging multinationals from developing countries, this paper examines India’s outward foreign direct investment in an evolutionary perspective. In its endeavor, the study besides tracing the emerging pattern of India’s outward foreign direct investment, hints at the facilitating role of state policy to encourage the outflow of foreign direct investment.Outward foreign direct investment, pattern of Indian investment abroad, Public policy