Political Economy of Malaysia's Industrial Policy (eBook)

Firdausi Suffian is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sabah Campus. He obtained his PhD from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, in 2018. He holds a Master's degree in Public Policy, specialising in policy analysis, from the Australia National University (ANU) and Crawford Schools of Economics and Government, and a Bachelor's degree in Administrative Science (first class honours) from University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. His main research interests include various political-economics-related issues, such as the political economy of economic development, and the role of institutions and industrial policy. Firdausi is a visiting lecturer for the Asia-Pacific postgraduate programme at Mondragon University, Spain, and he was formerly a teaching assistant at the University of Bristol. Outside of academia, he has also served as a consultant to the United Nations Children's Fund overseeing documented and undocumented children in Sabah in East Malaysia. He is also an Associate Research Fellow for Malaysia Institute of Economic Research one of the leading thinking tank group in Malaysia.

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This book examines the national automotive policy in Malaysia to help readers gain an understanding of the country's industrial policy-making processes. Addressing a gap in analysis of the political economy of the national automotive policy, the research presented combines the new institutional theory and the developmental state approach to provide new insights into elite policymakers' measures to shield domestic automotive enterprises from pro-market reforms. The formation of the national car project marks a turning point for Malaysia's industrial development as a country, which it envisions will lead to it becoming a major player in the global automotive market. However, the domestic institutional factors embedded in ethno-economic interests and patronage constrain national car-makers, limiting their potential to grow, and instead causing a slowdown in the industry.Allowing readers to understand the background to Malaysia's heavy industrialisation programme and the birth of its national car projects, this book critically discusses the significance of institutional context in policy outcomes, and highlights how institutions and policies have impact growth or decline. It is a valuable resource relevant to analysts, researchers and students who are interested in the political economy of the national industrial policy and automotive industry in Malaysia and beyond.