A collection of 13 posts
Bambang Brodjonegoro, dean of the ADB’s Tokyo-based think tank, said Southeast Asia’s largest middle-income economies are at risk of long-term stagnation as demographic advantages fade and productivity growth stalls.
Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore have made significant advances in economic development and infrastructure, efforts on sustainability and equality targets remain uneven, the United Nations’ ESCAP 2025 SDG (sustainable development goals) Progress Report found. Thailand leads the trio in overall SDG achievement and ranks first in ASEAN, which is comprised of
Malaysia is taking a proactive approach to economic growth and trade, balancing its global partnerships while maintaining a non-aligned stance in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government pursued new trade agreements, economic growth slowed to 5% in the fourth quarter of 2024, raising
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has assured that state-owned oil company Petronas will uphold all its contractual obligations with Sarawak’s Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) in Parliament on 17 February, addressing concerns over the companies’ ongoing negotiations. Petronas will "maintain all existing domestic and international contractual obligations", Anwar
Singaporean delivery app Grab contributed 0.5% to Malaysia’s GDP in 2023, according to a new report by Kuala Lumpur-based advisory firm Econworks. The platform created up to MYR 9.9bn (USD 2.24bn) from 277,237 earning opportunities, generating MYR 3.7bn in household income, the report says,
Malaysia and Thailand became partner countries of the BRICS group on 1 January and will participate in BRICS mechanisms along with Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Uganda and Uzbekistan, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov announced. With the addition of these nine partner nations, BRICS now encompasses approximately half of the
Amid heightened US-China tensions, Singapore reaffirmed its neutral stance at the ASEAN summit in October 2024, with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong emphasising economic stability and strategic balance. Singapore continues to maintain strong trade ties with both superpowers, even as the US and Beijing intensify pressure on regional allies to
Singaporean Trade and Industry Minister Alvin Tan said companies can use the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as a manufacturing and processing base while keeping their headquarters and research operations in Singapore, in Parliament on 5 February. Singapore and Malaysia agreed to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ) last
Reports that US President Donald Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) shut down its elite anti-corruption unit have raised concerns about the future of global financial crime enforcement, particularly in cases like Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal. The unit played a key role in investigating the multibn-dollar fraud, which implicated
As the incoming administration of US President Donald Trump prepares to announce tariffs, Malaysia is seeking greater alignment with Singapore, and stability and economic resilience at the start of an uncertain era for South East Asia (SEA) and the planet. As global trading networks become less stable, Malaysia has turned
The digital sectors of Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore contributed to a 24% regional increase in profits in 2024, reaching USD 11bn, according to a new report. Thailand and Malaysia strategic cost measures in e-commerce and digital finance, optimising take rates and reducing customer subsidies to improve margins. In Thailand, e-commerce
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim underlined his country’s plans to build trade relationships with China, Russia, and Brazil, at a parliamentary session on February 4. Anwar’s emphasis on diversifying trade partnerships reflects a strategic move to shield Malaysia’s economy from potential external shocks due to shifting US
Turkey plans to double its annual trade with Malaysia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Putrajaya, on 10 February, the first day of his two-day visit to Malaysia. Bilateral trade between Turkey and Malaysia last year was MYR 24.13bn (USD 5.4bn), up 18.7% year-on-year, according to