The reopening of China’s borders in early January marked a significant turning point for the world economy after nearly three years of closed borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact of China’s reopening is being felt across Southeast Asia, not just in the tourism industry, but also in trade and investment.
International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s proposal to position Malaysia as a strategic gateway for investment into ASEAN has received criticism from some quarters, which, in my opinion, is misguided. Senior fellow at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research Geoffrey Williams dismissed the proposal as “no longer relevant” and lacking “real vision for…
The warning bells have been ringing since 2020. And anyone who hasn’t seen the writing on the wall hasn’t been paying attention. A global recession is not coming. It is already here. In the United States, the economy has contracted for two quarters. And while the market is still adding jobs at an impressive rate, simply replacing…
October 2022 finally saw the culmination of a 25-year-long wait for Anwar Ibrahim, whose Pakatan Harapan alliance emerged with the most seats in the general election. Although still short of a simple majority needed to form a government, Malaysia’s king announced him as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia or just PMX.