By Thenesh Anbalagan READ REPORT HERE Budget 2027 presents an opportunity to give Malaysia’s commitment to equitable development a stronger geographical and industrial dimension. The Pre-Budget Statement 2027 recognises that development should respond to the particular strengths and needs of…
By Ng Sze Fung READ REPORT HERE Malaysia is entering a new phase of information governance. The Data Sharing Act 2025 provides a legal framework for federal agencies to exchange data, while the Statistics Bill 2026, passed by the Dewan…
By Thenesh Anbalagan and Ng Sze Fung READ REPORT HERE Johor’s rapid economic development should be welcomed. The JS-SEZ, RTS Link, Iskandar Malaysia, data-centre investments, ports and industrialexpansion have strengthened Johor’s position as Malaysia’s emergingsouthern growth engine. However, Johor’s growth…
By Thenesh Anbalagan and Ng Sze Fung READ REPORT HERE Recent claims that Johor is “stepping ahead” should be treated with caution. Johor’s growth, investment momentum and employment expansion are real and should be welcomed. But a fuller comparison with…
By Thenesh Anbalagan and Ng Sze Fung READ REPORT HERE This note argues that Johor’s enactment to introduce up to five appointed ADUNs is fundamentally undemocratic because it allows unelected individuals to exercise legislative influence without a direct mandate from…
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…
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…