https://www.scmp.com/rss/521278/feed Dr Lee Hwok-Aun is Senior Fellow of the Regional Economic Studies Programme, and Co-coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He was previously Senior Lecturer in development studies at the University of Malaya. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Anwar Ibrahim started this year with a spring in his step. On January 5, his “new year mandate” speech announced a raft of economic relief measures for households and small and medium-sized enterprises, alongside a few institutional reforms. Quite saliently, he also announced legislation to limit the Malaysian prime minister’s term in office. While these plans for 2026 have been on the cards for some time, it is important to note that their roll-out follows Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) trouncing in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3341040/malaysias-pm-term-limits-could-backfire-unless-election-cycles-are-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3341040/malaysias-pm-term-limits-could-backfire-unless-election-cycles-are-set?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 02:00:32 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Malaysia’s Madani government has vowed to tackle its mounting budgetary pressures by phasing out blanket petrol subsidies. But despite initial signals of bold reform in 2023, the scope of the policy has since narrowed. Today, subsidised fuel remains available to the masses, while only the “ultra-rich” and foreigners will face higher costs. This retreat reflects the political and practical challenges of reforming a system deeply embedded in Malaysian society. Fuel subsidies have long been an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3330253/why-malaysias-fuel-subsidy-reform-stuck-slow-lane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3330253/why-malaysias-fuel-subsidy-reform-stuck-slow-lane?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Development plans are rarely page-turners. But Malaysia’s latest, covering the years 2026 to 2030, carries unusual weight. Compact and rooted in two simple yet powerful concepts, it may prove consequential for the country’s progress. The 13th Malaysia Plan, launched under the striking mission of “redesigning development”, extends a planning tradition that is now seven decades old but continues to anchor the nation’s development strategy and public investment. The plan seeks to answer two... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325374/malaysias-13th-plan-offers-pocket-sized-reforms-middle-income-quagmire?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 04:08:38 +0000 Lee Hwok-Aun Lee Hwok-Aun Malaysia has made decent progress in the first 30 days of US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The country’s delegation to Washington, led by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz, met US officials on April 24 to exchange viewpoints. Apart from tariff-exempted semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, Malaysia’s exports to the US bear the blanket 10 per cent levy, but the spectre of a maximum 24 per cent hangs until both parties... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3311569/preparing-malaysias-toolkit-weather-trumps-tariff-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3311569/preparing-malaysias-toolkit-weather-trumps-tariff-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 04:00:15 +0000