Malaysia

Malaysia’s government is in the midst of implementing a long-term strategy that seeks to diversity the national economy away from dependence on the core Kuala Lumpur/ Klang Valley area. This plan, introduced in 2006 under the 9th Malaysia Plan by then-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi, created five regional economic corridors: Iskandar Malaysia (IM), the East Coast Economic Region (ECER),...

Education is a renewed area of focus for the Malaysian government, which has increased its spending on the sector by 60% over the past two years as part of its commitment to building a high-income economy. The current system enjoys relatively high grades in global reports but suffers from low enrolment across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Private schools have emerged to fill this gap,...

Malaysia’s media scene is dominated by cross-platform conglomerates such as Media Premia, which operates the country’s most popular free TV channels and has a commanding presence in print, radio and online as well. Other groups include Star Publications, Sin Chew Media and the Redberry Media Group. Meanwhile Astro Holdings, which relisted on the KL bourse in 2012, dominates the pay-TV sector and...

Malaysia has developed competitive industries in a number of key fields, from agriculture-based products like rubber and halal food, to petroleum and chemical products, to high-tech electrical and electronics manufacturing. The government’s strategy for turning Malaysia into a high-income economy includes shifting from low- to high-value production, emphasising sectors like bio-technology and...

With nearly 25m arrivals and $19bn in revenues in 2011, Malaysia’s tourism sector is a major contributor to employment and economic growth. Visitors are attracted by Malaysia’s cultural diversity, natural beauty, historic landmarks, and of course, the gleaming shopping malls of Kuala Lumpur. The country also offers a strong value proposition, although tourism operators are finding this something...

From a regional perspective, Malaysia’s communications industry is at an intermediate level of development: significantly ahead of most ASEAN countries, but trailing “Asian tigers” like Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. New developments in telecoms may be changing this, with wireless operators rolling out 4G networks and Telekom Malaysia deploying a fibre-to-the-home network in core areas....