MALAYSIA
The crisis of 1997-98 had a profound effect on macroeconomic conditions in Malaysia. Having grown by an annual average of 9.6% in the five years preceding the crisis, the economy contracted by 7.4% in 1998. The shrinkage reflected a sharp retraction in investment spending, weak external demand and a huge drop in household spending. The government reacted with an unorthodox policy mix of pegging the currency against the US dollar, implementing exchange controls and adopting deficit financing to reflate domestic demand.
Since the crisis, Malaysia has made good progress in reforming its banking and financial system. Local banks have been consolidated, while gradual liberalisation has led to increased competition, especially from foreign banks. In recent years, the government has also progressively dismantled the exchange and other controls imposed during the crisis--including abandoning the ringgit peg to the US dollar in July 2005 in favour of a managed float, although offshore ringgit trading is still prohibited.
Today, Malaysia is in rude economic health, benefiting from relatively firm external demand for electronics and electrical products and strong domestic consumption. In 2006 the economy grew by 5.9%, slightly faster than the Association of South-East Asian Nations average of 5.8%. Major restructuring in the financial sector and the build-up of foreign-exchange reserves—to levels sufficient to finance more than eight months of retained imports—have left Malaysia better equipped to deal with financial emergencies.
However, other economic challenges remain. Malaysia needs to achieve further progress in corporate governance and transparency. It also needs to make concerted efforts to move up the value chain to compete successfully against China and other low-cost manufacturing economies. Moreover, diversification away from export-oriented industries to the services sector is essential if Malaysia is to achieve developed-nation status by 2020.
MALAYSIAThe crisis of 1997-98 had a profound effect on macroeconomic conditions in Malaysia. Having grown by an annual average of 9.6% in the five years preceding the crisis, the economy contracted by 7.4% in 1998. The shrinkage reflected a sharp retraction in investment spending, weak external demand and a huge drop in household spending. The government reacted with an unorthodox policy mix of pegging the currency against the US dollar, implementing exchange controls and adopting deficit financing to reflate domestic demand.Since the crisis, Malaysia has made good progress in reforming its banking and financial system. Local banks have been consolidated, while gradual liberalisation has led to increased competition, especially from foreign banks. In recent years, the government has also progressively dismantled the exchange and other controls imposed during the crisis--including abandoning the ringgit peg to the US dollar in July 2005 in favour of a managed float, although offshore ringgit trading is still prohibited.Today, Malaysia is in rude economic health, benefiting from relatively firm external demand for electronics and electrical products and strong domestic consumption. In 2006 the economy grew by 5.9%, slightly faster than the Association of South-East Asian Nations average of 5.8%. Major restructuring in the financial sector and the build-up of foreign-exchange reserves—to levels sufficient to finance more than eight months of retained imports—have left Malaysia better equipped to deal with financial emergencies.However, other economic challenges remain. Malaysia needs to achieve further progress in corporate governance and transparency. It also needs to make concerted efforts to move up the value chain to compete successfully against China and other low-cost manufacturing economies. Moreover, diversification away from export-oriented industries to the services sector is essential if Malaysia is to achieve developed-nation status by 2020.
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