We Are A Progressive
Malaysian Think Tank
At INSAP, we believe in collective decision-making and that the government of the day must consider
diverse views from the masses to effectively craft public policies for the country.
ABOUT US
The Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP), established in 1986, is one of the pioneer think-tanks in Malaysia, focusing on political-economic research. A not-for-profit organisation, INSAP develops long-term strategies and policies which are relevant to the interests and aspirations of Malaysians. Since its early days leading to its corporatisation in 1995, INSAP has produced strategic reports and recommendations for the Malaysian government.
LATEST NEWS
PUBLICATIONS
December 24, 2021
Malaysia will make every effort to enhance the country’s economic fundamentals in order to achieve prosperous, sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Prihatin (RM250 billion), Penjana (RM35 billion), Pemerkasa (RM20 billion), and Pemulih (RM20 billion) are among the eight economic aid and stimulus packages adopted by the government, totaling RM530 billion (RM150 billion). These allocations are designed to ensure that it is available to practically every Malaysian family to be align with the government’s theme of “Keluarga Malaysia, Makmur Sejahtera”. It is also advisable for government to take into account the possible issues and challenges and reconsider, react accordingly to the expected period of recovery in Malaysia. It’s always better to be prepared than not.
August 28, 2021
2020 was remarkably challenging as the world was overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Malaysian economic recorded negative 5.5% GDP growth in 2020, the worst performance since Asian Financial Crisis in 1997/98. However, the COVID-19 pandemic now give Malaysian the golden opportunity to rise from the pandemic disaster to become greener and more tech savvy by embracing IoT, 5G and Digital Economy. Malaysia also needs to take cognizance of the current impact of climate change which will push the global markets to be sensitive to greener products. The incoming new Malaysian government has a strong mandate to move Malaysia forward to switch gears when tabling Budget 2022.
August 13, 2021
Full report by Malaysian Government to UN on Convention on the Rights of the Child in Malaysia.
July 24, 2021
Recovery efforts should be calibrated to those who need it most, according to INSAP’s proposal to the Ministry of Finance to enhance National Pandemic Recovery (Pemulih). Underlining a “Marshall Plan” approach to work towards an inclusive economy based on the principles of shared prosperity to the Finance Ministry, MCA leaders met with Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz to present INSAP’S proposals to the Federal Government on Friday (July 23).
July 06, 2021
Given that 44% of the B40 households are living in rural areas, and their primary source of income are associated with agriculture which is allowed to operate during the lockdown, INSAP suggests that the government should consider a more inclusive subsistence framework based on spatial demography rather than income level alone. This ensures maximum utility of the subsistence aid to make every sen count at a time when the government coffers are dwindling.
June 17, 2021
On June 13, 2021, Malaysia Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the government will soon be introducing a National Recovery Plan to battle Covid-19. The draft of this plan could not be more timely as the country has had a year and a half of experience facing the pandemic. It is a move that is very much called for arising from the enforcement of several lockdowns, introduction of fiscal packages and roll out of vaccination programme by phases to get Malaysia back on its feet.
June 1, 2021
The pandemic has reduced economic activity, lowered incomes and increased unemployment for the vast majority of Malaysians and consequently, how much the government can realistically collect in tax revenues. Due to the mass uncertainties created by the pandemic, GDP and revenue projection becomes harder and more speculative the longer the COVID-19 virus and restrictive measures exist.
April 13, 2021
In a nutshell, while INSAP do agree that the economy will experience a rebound overall for the current year, BNM may have been over optimistic in quantifying the impact of the recent stimulus package on private sector spending, especially at a time when banks are more cautious surrounding their lending practices. INSAP Senior Economist Qarrem Kassim explains.
March 08, 2021
The Malaysian economy registered a negative Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2020 (4Q2020), at -3.4% year on year (YoY), weaker than what many market analysts had expected. Indeed, this contraction marks a double dip in economic growth in the third and fourth quarters of the year despite a short spurt in recovery.
March 01, 2021
LETTERS: While Malaysia has made great strides in special education, much improvement is needed in terms of the correct care and attention for specific disabilities.
Therefore, the government must look into efficient methods of diagnosing, categorising, planning and the management of persons enrolled in special education.
For example, children diagnosed with cerebral palsy must have different methods of training and education compared with those diagnosed with autism.
Having a common method for all disabilities eliminates the chances of a quality education and puts persons with disabilities (PWDs) in a disadvantaged situation in the long term. The effects are compounded when children with disabilities grow up without the support of education and training.
February 08, 2021
A major factor in determining the health of the Malaysian economy in 2021 is the pace at which employment and incomes can recover from the prior year. Though the labour market has shown signs of recovery since the second and third quarters of 2020 as MCO measures were gradually loosened, improvements in the nominal employment rate had been insufficient to restore conditions back to pre-pandemic levels, given the massive decline in labour-intensive sectors such as tourism and retail which employed up to 23% of the total workforce prior to the pandemic.
February 08, 2021
数字经济与“一带一路”倡议的结合形成了“数字丝绸之路”的倡议理念1。早在 2013 年,中国国家主席习近平首次提出此概念倡议,并在 2017 年,“一带一路”国际合作 高峰论坛上,提出要坚持创新驱动发展,加强在数字经济、人工智能、纳米技术、量 子计算机等前沿领域合作,推动大数据、云计算、智慧城市建设,连接成 21 世纪的 “数字丝绸之路”2。复旦大学“数字一带一路”研究中心接着在 2018 年推出蓝皮书 中提出此倡议的三大重要意义。其一,通过“虚拟空间”打造来支持五大领域的互联 互通;其二,通过开放中国巨大市场,用轻资产方式促进沿线国家传统业转型,提高 创新就业;其三,整体利用中国已成型的数字有形资产与无形资产,主动优化产业布 局,形成区域经济利益共同基础。如今,“数字丝绸之路”有关项目在世界各地展 开,其中有名的是数字丝路国际科学计划 (DBAR) 、阿里云飞天技术的数字计算服务 等项目与数字化产品交易等项目。当前,阿里云在东南亚等地已建立了大约 15 个飞天 数据中心,而许多中国商品业通过电商平台销往俄罗斯、乌克兰、波兰、泰国、埃 及、沙特阿拉伯等 54 个沿线国家,同时,超过 50 个沿线国家的商品也通过电商走进 中国3。
February 08, 2021
中国早在 2013 年第一次对世界提出了“丝绸之路经济带”(一带一路)的当代经贸合作 倡议。在古代丝绸之路的概念基础上,中国以“共享经济”的理念连接了世界大半的区 域,包括东亚,中亚及西亚等国家,涵盖金融,交通,能源等多重要领域,形成“互联 互通“的世界大版图,并志在完成区域与世界一体化的伟大梦想。
数字经济在“一带一路”倡议里扮演重要组成的部分,随着第四次工业革命尤其数字经 济的快速发展,与其相关的数字技术以成为了世界经济成长的趋势与支撑,当中涵盖 了大数据,区块链,人工智能等技术的关键动力。数字经济发展与“一带一路”倡议的 结合形成了“数字丝绸之路”1。以此,我们可说“数字丝绸之路”是建立在“一带一路”理念 的基础上,并是与数字经济结合的新兴经济倡议。
January 27, 2021
Though the full details of the Permai package have yet to be provided, the bulk of the stimulus measures seem to be channelled through non-direct forms of intervention, such as an extension of the loan moratorium and the wage subsidy program. Despite this, the main focus of the stimulus package seems to be short-term in nature, looking to keep people float through the next few weeks as opposed to an economic “game changer” in national policy.
January 26, 2021
The rise of Islamism in Malaysian society in the early 1970s with the dakwah movement propelled by Anwar Ibrahim and the influence of the religion in Malaysian politics and government under then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed in the 1980s was another turning point for the MCA.
January 25, 2021
The Alliance and subsequently the Barisan Nasional (BN) formula was the magic political formula for a multi-ethnic and multi-religious people to co-exist – power sharing, mutual respect, and every ethnic represented at one or another level of government. An equilibrium and a balance of power among the coalition parties enabled every ethnic group in the country to have a voice in determining the course of the nation.
November 29, 2020
Despite the RCEP being two times larger than the CPTPP, its depth and scope is a quality far behind the provisions of the CPTPP mainly due to the participation of ASEAN’s least-developed nations. It can be surmised that RCEP is a wider but shallower pact while the CPTPP is a narrower but deeper longer-term agreement.
November 29, 2020
It is no longer uncommon for “glass ceilings” to be acknowledged and addressed in the Malaysian workforce. In fact, Malaysians are realising the “dangers” of staying silent and have taken it in stride to talk about the “elephant in the room”. Inequality in the work place and the lack of women representation in senior management is prevalent, even today, across all industries. While there is genuine effort to question and change this unbalanced status quo in a number of fields of work, not much can be said about the adamantine glass ceiling in Malaysian political parties. Equal and rightful representation of women in Malaysian politics has been an uphill battle. The fact that “the 30%” still remains a distant reality year after year proves that political parties are yet to understand that they are still actively and consciously disregarding the talent and perspectives of one prominent sect of their organization.
November 26, 2020
By year 2050, Malaysia is projected to register an alarming urbanisation rate of between 85% to 90%, from a projected total population of 40.7 million. Kuala Lumpur, for example, is so dense that it has an approximately 32,909 persons per square kilometre in 2020 (DOSM). It is clear that our city centres face immaturity in anticipating the externalities that came about with rapid urbanization. As reported by the World Bank’s Malaysia Economic Monitor, our country sees stable economic outlook, but the downsides of socio-related risks are very much elevated. We have since passed the point of asking ourselves how did we get here. Rather, it is time to invest in viable solutions to contain this impending problem before it becomes worse in the future.
November 17, 2020
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.
October 19, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has created radical uncertainty at all levels of government operations and policy. Policymakers are faced with difficult trade-offs between public health, economic and social interests and the challenges it raises. The regional and local impacts of COVID-19 are highly heterogenous, affecting states differently according to the local nuances of the individual states, creating a territorial dimension and significant implications for policy responses.
This report takes an in-depth look at the social, economic and fiscal impacts related to the COVID-19 crisis. The paper uses examples of good practice from both developed and developing economies to help mitigate the territorial effects of the crisis and offers several key takeaways on managing COVID-19’s economic impact, its implications on the government, financial and public investment level, as well as points for policymakers to consider as they build economic and social resiliency across all regions. Lastly, the paper provides recommendations and key insight on the long-term initiatives needed to strengthen Malaysia’s economic position in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
October 19, 2020
Based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, Malaysia is placed at 104 globally, in a gender gap ranking for 153 countries. This can be attributed to our country’s employment policies and “social norms” which are not so women-friendly. The Gender Equality Bill, which seeks to level the economic playing field in Malaysia, is still in the process of being drafted after close to 2 decades of discussion and deliberation. The fact that a number of very “ideologically different” stakeholders are part of the drafting the GEA, has made it that much harder for such a law to be finalised, let alone be passed in Parliament. Gender equality even through a legal structure, which includes the highly sought after “equal pay for work of equal value” remains a distant reality.
October 14, 2020
Making up an estimated half of Malaysia’s electoral roll, women remain to this day, crucial determiners of who comes to power and stays in power. It is then curious as to why women’s issues and legislations that impact women persist as an uphill battle. In an increasingly “vocal” Malaysia, there is constant and consistent coverage of the many inherent woes that women in our country have. These grievances have been discussed, debated and deliberated time and time again, only to yield the absolute bare minimum in the form of aid, assistance or allocation. In a world that lauds women-led governance and strives for the protection of women, Malaysia is at risk of being left behind or termed “regressive”. It is the need of the hour to adopt a more gender-responsive political agenda that not only uplifts, but empowers women in the long run.
June 11, 2020
The gig economy is defined as a labour market characterised by the prevalence of shortterm contracts or freelance work done by individuals, although it is also loosely called freelance work. The popularity of gig jobs has increased in recent years as trends shifted from fixed work or employment to gig work whereby individuals work when needed for that task. Some of the reasons behind the emergence of this trend include; lack of other job opportunities, lack of faith in job security, desire for freedom in terms of flexible hours, and the advancement of technology such as mobile apps which has allowed business transactions to be conducted in a more efficient manner. Due to this it is mostly populated by the younger generation who are more attuned to the digital environment.
June 9, 2020
The issue of oil and gas rights in Sabah is a thorny one, with local Sabahans feeling that their local hydrocarbon resources are being exploited by Petronas without enjoying much economic opportunity or social benefit in return despite being the largest producer of hydrocarbons in the country. Therefore, anyone who wishes to improve Sabah’s economic conditions should be mindful of the negative local sentiments towards Petronas and should seek to maximize concessions from Petronas in the areas of local infrastructure, increasing social mobility and 12 better downstream economic opportunity where commercially viable. Although this may not undo decades of resource exploitation and poverty in the state, it would help to build a more stable economic foundation for future generations to recover.
June 7, 2020
As traditional retail involves the physical opening of a space or business premise (also known as brick and mortar type shops), and the need for visitors to physically enter to make transactions, restricted movements worldwide has caused a lot of disruptions. Now with the wide implementation of social distancing, the shifts in demands among sectors is very obvious, eg from physical to online, from regular purchases to health related products and so on.
June 4, 2020
A pandemic that causes world economies to halt highlights the shortcomings of workers’ rights in Malaysia. Many workers are facing retrenchment, salary cuts, revocations of job offers, and/or unpaid leave. The pandemic also shows the harsh conditions domestic and foreign workers often endure. Furthermore, social protection such as SOCSO, EIS, and EPF are only provided to workers in formal sectors whilst informal workers are at a risk.
June 2, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the economic equilibrium of supply and demand. Businesses and consumers are expected to adapt to a “new normal” following a large-scale economic disruption from the Movement Control Order (MCO). The pandemic has undoubtedly damaged the brick-and-mortar retail business as reported in the news and reports from retail association worldwide. However, the silver lining behind the negativity of the pandemic presents an opportunity for business with minimal human contact and online presence such as grocery deliveries, online learning, takeout food, video streaming and to the extent of closing real estate deals through online notaries.
June 2, 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. Many estimates have been thrown around about the potential impact of Covid-19 pandemic on global and national economies, most views tend to agree that it will be very bad at this stage and tourism is clearly the worst hit of all major economic sectors. The severity largely depends on how long the pandemic will last, the level of social distancing restrictions on business, and the magnitude and effectiveness of government stimulus packages.
May 31, 2020
In Malaysia’s rapidly growing economy, increasing urbanisation and relatively low labour participation rate among women has continued to create a major demand for foreign labour. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to the government, societies, businesses and individuals.
OUR GALLERY
CONTACT US
OFFICE ADDRESS
- 163, Jalan Ampang, 55000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
OFFICE PHONE NUMBER
- +603 - 21615621
EMAIL ADDRESS
- hello@insap.org.my
WORKING HOURS
- Monday to Friday : 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
The Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP) is an independent think-tank and research outfit that conducts research and analysis on politics, economics, education, women rights and development, social and other issues in Malaysia. INSAP aims to provide fresh perspectives and bold recommendations to policy formulators, decision-makers and political leaders in Malaysia
Copyright © 2023 INSAP.ORG.MY | All Right Reserved