Research 2023

Malaysia’s exports improved considerably during the fourth quarter of 2020 (4Q 2020), following the lifting of economic restrictions resulting from the pandemic. The nation’s exports in December 2020 expanded year on year (YoY) by 10.8%, from RM86.4bil to RM95bil, the highest export value recorded during the current or preceeding year. It should be noted that this export value was only matched by the month of October 2018 where a value of RM97.1bil was recorded.

Budget 2021 got through the policy stage on 26th November 2020 after Parliament approved it through
a voice vote. A total of 13 opposition lawmakers from Parti PEJUANG Tanah Air (PEJUANG) and Parti
Amanah Negara (AMANAH) stood, in an attempt to force bloc voting, however, since there were fewer
than the 15 lawmakers needed to force bloc-voting, Budget 2021 successfully got through the first
stage of voting.

The majority (72%) of respondents who took part in this quick poll expressed their agreement to the
closure of schools and nurseries until end of the year due to the rising number of positive Covid-19 cases
but they have also expressed concerns over the ability of children to keep up with academic learning via
online-classes. Others have also raised the issue of having no one to care for their child when both
parents have to work, and seeking the services of sitters would increase costs.

Housing is one of the most important human basic needs. It not only acts as a means of shelter, but also entails the social and economic well-being of the people. Housing is a significant contributor to physical and mental health, education, employment, economic growth, environment, and overall social life. In many social democratic nations, housing is even considered a natural human right. Hence, the right to adequate and affordable housing, regardless of wealth and social standing is inalienable to the pursuit of human wellbeing.
In Malaysia however, houses remain relatively unaffordable for many people, with average house prices over 4 times the median annual salary for most. This paper explores in depth the issues surrounding housing affordability, from the points of view of both the purchaser and the developer and the inability of the nation’s youth to secure adequate and decent housing. The paper ends on a discussion on possible policy recommendations that the government can consider implementing.

Is 6.5%-7.5% magical? Is RM322.5billion too huge (or too little)? Is corporate income tax revenue in 2021 overestimated? Should the budget deficit be worrying? Is rising public debt level sustainable?

这个新冠肺炎疫情严重破坏了世界各地妇女的生计，减少了她们的经济机会，马来西亚也不例外。然而，即使在疫情之前，马来西亚在倡导性别平等方面一直很不足，性别差距一直很大，甚至一直持续到今天。根据世界经济论坛（WEF）发布的《2020年全球性别差距指数》1，马来西亚在全球排名第104位，落后于该区域的邻国—汶莱和柬埔寨，分别排名第95和89位。

Worth a total of RM322.5bil, Budget 2021 is the largest budget in history, notably, the budget generally did not propose any new taxes nor increasing any existing taxes. The budget seems more a fit-for-purpose proposal which aims to meet the most immediate needs of the country to encourage recovery, growth and investment. As seen in the first half of 2020, the pandemic has created significant economic uncertainty which can change very rapidly, as such, flexibility is required when the need arises to supplement and amend measures when necessary.

The IMF had recently published a 37-page report detailing its forecasted economic outlook in 2021 with Malaysia punching far above its weight at a remarkable 9.0% real GDP growth in 2021 after a 1.7% contraction in 2020. This report will explore the assumptions used in determining those projections, whether they are reliable and will additionally compare and contrast their forecast with findings reported from the Fitch ratings agency.