By Maha Balakrishnan READ FULL REFSA BRIEF HERE Description As in other parliamentary systems, the annual budget process in the Dewan Rakyat is the mostsignificant event in the parliamentary calendar, as it offers lawmakers their most powerfulplatform to evaluate and…
By Yee Hoi Mun READ REPORT HERE Malaysia does not have a strong history nor presence in mixed-income housing development, while it has been a widely adopted practice in a number of societies, including our neighbours Singapore. Mixed-income areas could…
READ FULL REFSA BRIEF HERE Description Despite the number of older highly vacant office buildings, it is highly unlikely that all or most of them would be financially or structurally fit for housing conversion. In such cases, it doesn’t mean…
By Lim Li Lian READ ARTICLE HERE Over the years, Putrajaya’s budgets have largely adhered to economic orthodoxy—loosening the purse strings when growth falters and tightening them when the economy hums. Countercyclicality, in other words, is not the problem. The…
Kuala Lumpur’s old city centre — stretching along the Gombak River from Jalan Sultan Ismail to Kampung Attap, and framed by Stadium Merdeka, Masjid Jamek and Medan Tuanku — is experiencing a hollowing-out effect. Over the past few decades, essential…
Media Statement by Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) on 5 September 2025 On 5 September 20265, Research for Social Advancement (REFSA) released its latest research brief titled “The case for Office to Residential conversion in Kuala Lumpur”. In conjunction with…
READ FULL REPORT HERE Kuala Lumpur potentially has a good supply of under occupied office blocks located in prime locations. It should be seen as an opportunity to solve several issues facing the city centre without needing to break the…
READ FULL REPORT HERE Executive Summary Table 1: Summary of implications for Malaysia Key elements of semiconductor nationalism Implications for Malaysia Recognition of importance A crucial shift in mindset in the public and private sector towards prioritizing national outcomes is…
by Tan E Hun Semiconductors are the foundation of modern technology, ubiquitous in almost every aspect of our modern daily lives, and present in every single electronic devices we use. They continue to transform our society and economy, as crucial…
by Tan E Hun The year was 1985. Melbourne City Council, together with Victoria state and local stakeholders executed the Melbourne’s 1985 Strategy Plan aimed to reinvigorate and revitalise the city centre. The last two decades before that had seen…