Category: Domestic & International Trade

Though there is overwhelming evidence of long-term dependence in stock returns series, relatively less attention has been given to explore the factors that generate these long memory effects. Using the Hurst exponents reported by Cajueiro and Tabak (2007) for 41 countries and the available classification of legal systems, this paper explores whether cross-country variations in… Continue reading Long-Term Dependence in World Stock Markets: Does Legal Origin Matter?

The article provides information on the 14th annual Malaysian International Furniture Fair in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The show’s attendance was 19,549, with 6.5% coming the U.S. and Canada, 20.9% from Europe, 12.4% from the Middle East and the rest from other Asian countries with strong economies. Orders generated by the show exceeded the expectation of… Continue reading Malaysia looking to gain export edge

Presents an overview of the investment strategies and policy of Malaysia. Openness of Malaysia to foreign investments; Currency conversion and transfer policies; Information on performance requirements and incentives, rights of private ownership, and protection of property rights; Amount of political violence, corruption, and crime; International investment agreements, foreign trade zones, and foreign investment statistics; Information… Continue reading Investment Overview – Malaysia Country Review 2008

The histories of Asia’s business “godfathers,??? traced through the growth of their enterprises and elucidated with interviews with themand their close associates, make for a thought-provoking read. Mr. Studwell excels at providing an insightful description of theconduct of power and its effect on economic and enterprise development in the region. However, important new political, economicand… Continue reading Book review: Asian Godfathers: Money and Power in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia by Joe Studwell

Malaysia remains attractive to FDI: For a start, tackle the issues of institutional inefficiencies and labour skills mismatch.  Publication: MIERScan, 15 January 2007.  [Download]

To win in the world’s fastest-growing markets, transnational giants have to compete with increasingly sophisticated homegrown champions. It isn’t easy. [Download]

The size of global Islamic funds has dramatically increased since the incident of September 11. Investments particularly from Islamic institutions and wealthy Muslims have shifted from conventional based funds to Islamic funds. Back in 1999, these funds were estimated at about US$800 million and now up to US$200 billion. It is interesting to know who… Continue reading Pulling Arab funds into Malaysian shores

Many developing and emerging market economies are preparing, if not implementing, new competition laws or modernizing their existing statutes. UNCTAD and the World Bank estimate that there are now more than 90 countries covering 86 per cent of world trade with some kind of competition or anti-trust statute. This is a quantum leap from less than… Continue reading Competition and Economic Development

Two Different Policy Responses to the Asian Financial Crisis During the1990s, Asian businesses in developing nations acquired short-term funds in global markets. Much of this dollar denominated debt was unhedged. Over time, the quality of the investments made with these funds deteriorated. For example, short-term borrowing was used to acquire assets with a long-term payoff,… Continue reading The Role of Capital Account Controls in Developing Countries: Lessons from Malaysia

Many attribute Malaysia’s admirable economic growth to liberal economic policies. However, this view ignores the way coalitional politics often drove illiberal government intervention in the economy to correct ethnically based economic inequality, create national heavy industries, and favor politically well-connected entrepreneurs. A more nuanced analysis reveals a complex mix of liberal and illiberal economic policies… Continue reading Coalitional Politics, Economic Reform, and Technological Upgrading in Malaysia