Malaysian Industrial Policy

Jomo K. S. (Editor)

Malaysian Industrial Policy argues that selective government promotion efforts have been successful and crucial for Malaysia's industrialisation despite some disastrous consequences associated with the Mahathir government's heavy industrialisation programme. The authors in this book present evidence to show that direct and indirect government interventions have induced and supported investments, accelerating the structural transformation of the Malaysian economy. The analysis indicates that investment incentives with conditions attached rather than trade or investment liberalisation have been crucial to Malaysian manufacturing growth since independence. However, industrial development in Malaysia has been modest compared with that in northeast Asia because of weaknesses in industrial policy and excessive reliance on foreign investments.

Contributors are: Michael Best, Greg Felker, Fredrik Gustafsson, Hasli Hasan, Lee Hwok Aun, Lim Pao Li, Anna Ong Cheng Imm, Jomo K. S., Michael Rock and Meagan Sheridan.

JOMO K.S. is Assistant Secretary General for economic development at the United Nations. He completed this book while he was at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, and at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore as a visiting senior research fellow.

publication year: 2007
344 pages
ISBN: 978-9971-69-340-4  Paperback  US$30.00  S$38.00