OECD Economic Surveys: Malaysia 2021
Like many other countries, Malaysia was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic starting in early 2020. Its past policy prudence has allowed Malaysia to react swiftly and boldly to the public health and economic crisis. Nevertheless, the crisis revealed the necessity of further reforms that Malaysia needs to pursue in order to achieve more inclusive and high growth after the pandemic. Vulnerable workers have been more affected during the pandemic and many firms have been urged to use digital tools, such as e-commerce and teleworking, for the first time. Going forward, strengthening social protection is of utmost important to improve the well-being of the Malaysian people, including self-employed workers, and prepare for the ageing society. Easing government regulations further is crucial to stimulate business dynamism and restore vigorous growth. Accelerating digitalisation will be key for Malaysian firms to become more productive in the post-pandemic era. Along with its further economic development, Malaysia needs to transform itself into a greener economy.
SPECIAL FEATURES: PRODUCT MARKET REGULATION; DIGITALISATION; TELEWORKING
Egalement disponible en : Français
Unleashing business dynamism for the post-COVID19 recovery
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia undertook a series of vigorous reforms, ranging from the improvement of regulatory framework to the digitalisation of the economy, with the aim of boosting productivity. While the protracted pandemic has inevitably stalled reform efforts in many countries, including Malaysia, strengthening the business climate has become all the more important. This will be essential to achieve a robust recovery, accelerate digitalisation, and adopt a new working environment combining productivity and sanitary precautions. This chapter discusses: 1) how Malaysia can reinvigorate business dynamism with new regulatory reforms; 2) how it can boost the uptake by businesses of digital solutions; and 3) based on the recent experience of teleworking, how it can prepare an enabling working environment for the digital age.