This book brings together a set of incisive essays that interrogate Malaysian history and social relations which began during pre-colonial times, and extended to colonial and post-colonial Malaysia. It addresses economic misinterpretations of the role of markets in the way colonial industrialisation evolved, the nature of exploitation of workers, and the participation of local actors in shaping a wide range of socioeconomic and political processes. In doing so, it takes the lead from the innovative historian, Shaharil Talib Robert who argued that the recrafting of history should go beyond the use of conventional methodologies and analytic techniques. It is in that tradition that the chapters offer a semblance of causality, contingency, contradictions, and connections. With that, the analysis in each chapter utilises approaches appropriate for the topics chosen, which include history, anthropology, sociology, economics, politics, and international relations. The collection of chapters also offer novel interpretations to contest and fill gaps that have not been addressed in past works. The book is essential reading for history students, and those interested in Malaysian history in particular.

This book examines the diffusion of digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies in Malaysia by focusing on the ecosystem critical for its expansion. The chapters examine the digital proliferation in major sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce and services, as well as the intermediary organizations essential for the orderly performance of socioeconomic agents. The book incisively reviews policy instruments critical for the effective and orderly development of the embedding organizations, and the regulatory framework needed to quicken the appropriation of socioeconomic synergies from digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies. It highlights the importance of collaboration between government, academic and industry partners, as well as makes key recommendations on how to encourage adoption of IR4.0 technologies in the short- and long-term. This book bridges the concepts and applications of digitalization and industry 4.0 and will be a must-read for policy makers seeking to quicken the adoption of its technologies.

Existing accounts of East Asia s meteoric growth and structural change has either been explained as one dictated essentially by markets with strong macroeconomic fundamentals, or a consequence of proactive governments. This book departs from such a dichotomy by examining inductively the drivers of the experiences. Given the evolutionary treatment of each economic good and service as different, this book examines technological catch up with a strong focus on the industries contributing significantly to the economic growth of the countries selected in Asia. The evidence produced supports the evolutionary logic of macro, meso and micro interactions between several institutions, depending on the actors involved, structural location and typology of taxonomies and trajectories. The book carefully picks out experiences from the populous economies of China, India and Indonesia, the high income economies of Korea and Taiwan, the middle income economies of Malaysia and Thailand, and the transitional least developed country of Myanmar.

Chapters 1-7 of this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

Technology and technical change is sector- and industry-specific, embedded by locational institutions and organizations, and integrated in global networks. It is non-linear in its emergence and movement, and subsumed in the nature of micro, meso and macro interactions. Using evolutionary theory and its methodological complement of inductive research, this collection showcases selected examples of innovation and learning experience in the rapidly evolving developing economies of East Asia.

Consistent with evolutionary postulations of technology and technical change, this volume provides a range of empirically rich articles that elucidate innovation and learning experiences in East Asia. The case studies range from the dramatic movement of button manufacturing in China, to the globe's technology frontier, to the rapidly expanding but without tangible technological catch-up of garment manufacturing in the least developed country of Laos. The rich selection of industry-based national case studies provides a comprehensive account of technological catch-up experiences that will be very useful for both scholars and policy makers.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

East Asia has led rapid economic growth in the last few decades with India joining them over the last five years. Automotive parts manufacturers have been an important component of domestic production in all these economies. Experts with several years of multi-disciplinary research experience on the field examine the actual and potential technological and localization implications of MNC operations in East Asia and India. The rich collection of country experiences are both original and incisive. This volume includes: Case studies from China, Japan, India, Thailand and Malaysia A study of the role of multinationals in Asian technology building An examination of the growing Chinese automobile sector Featuring leading academics from across Asia, this title is essential reading for those studying industrial growth in the continent's major economies.

East Asia has led rapid economic growth in the last few decades with India joining them over the last five years. Automotive parts manufacturers have been an important component of domestic production in all these economies. Experts with several years of multi-disciplinary research experience on the field examine the actual and potential technological and localization implications of MNC operations in East Asia and India. The rich collection of country experiences are both original and incisive. This volume includes: Case studies from China, Japan, India, Thailand and Malaysia A study of the role of multinationals in Asian technology building An examination of the growing Chinese automobile sector Featuring leading academics from across Asia, this title is essential reading for those studying industrial growth in the continent's major economies.

This book focuses on what can be learned from the complex processes of industrial, technological and organizational change in the sectoral system of information hardware (IH). The IH innovation system is deliberately chosen to illustrate how sectors act as seeds of economic progress. Detailed firm-level studies were carried out in seven countries, three in Africa (Nigeria, Mauritius and South Africa) and four in Asia (China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia). Bringing together two important areas of research (the scholarship on technology, innovation and learning, and the development literature) this book creates a useful and novel framework for understanding development, and draws very strong policy lessons for latecomer countries. It will be of great interest to graduate students working on evolutionary economics, science and technology policy studies, as well as policymakers and research institutes.

This book presents the future development of Malaysia. It puts together building blocks to achieve a better future. These blocks are poverty and income inequality, population, demography and urbanization, growth and technological progress, education, human capital and skills, finance, labor, the environment, and health care. It examines the reasons for the decline in the agricultural sector with an emphasis on food security. It discusses Malaysia's economic growth and structural change compared to some of the Northeast East Asian and Southeast Asian countries. It explains the projections of population and demographic change and its bearing on government policies. It evaluates the country's education sector and discusses the strategies to improve its role in the country further. It argues for replacing ethnic-based approaches with a needs-based system for the future direction to build a plural Malaysia. This insightful book is of interest across several fields, including demography, economic development, and urbanization.

This book examines the diffusion of digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies in Malaysia by focusing on the ecosystem critical for its expansion. The chapters examine the digital proliferation in major sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce and services, as well as the intermediary organizations essential for the orderly performance of socioeconomic agents. The book incisively reviews policy instruments critical for the effective and orderly development of the embedding organizations, and the regulatory framework needed to quicken the appropriation of socioeconomic synergies from digitalization and industry 4.0 technologies. It highlights the importance of collaboration between government, academic and industry partners, as well as makes key recommendations on how to encourage adoption of IR4.0 technologies in the short- and long-term. This book bridges the concepts and applications of digitalization and industry 4.0 and will be a must-read for policy makers seeking to quicken the adoption of its technologies.

This book focuses on corporate sector development in the context of transition economies, such as China. In doing so, the book uses quantitative methods to test several hypotheses that are salient to the Chinese economic situation. Topics covered in the book include the relationship between tax management and firm performance, the extent to which a short-term focus on tax management can lead to long-term vulnerabilities, the impact of government ownership on tax management impact, and the link between the co-evolution of marketization and corruption, and institutional change and tax management. With that the book offers rich empirical evidence to examine tax management, firm performance and corruption in a broad context, while permitting comparison between the Chinese experience and the market economies.

`This is a very interesting book. It is topical and is one of the few volumes that attempts to treat Southeast Asia as an integrated whole. The editors are methodologically ambitious, and they skillfully integrate a very large amount of diverse material in their introduction. I imagine that the book would be adopted widely for courses in Asian studies and political economy.' - Hal Hill, The Australian National University `The different parts of the Southeast Asian puzzle fit better together as a consequence of reading this valuable book, which brings history back in to show how regions learn from each other and establish an identity.' - Alice Amsden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US This well-researched book examines the dramatic transformation of Southeast Asian countries from agricultural and mining economies to industrial nations. In doing so, it explores the effects of development policy on a number of interdisciplinary issues, and the emergence of new social and political pressures created by industrialization. These include their heightened vulnerability to complex economic crises, their use of sophisticated instruments in the labour process and increased awareness of environmental issues. The distinguished authors present a regional and cross-border focus on transnational actors and institutions, and the policy issues and problems which have a wider impact on spatial configurations in the region. This insightful study will appeal to researchers, academics and policymakers working on the economics and development of Southeast Asia.

This book focuses on different aspects of initiatives-to check pollution and to reduce consumption of fossil fuels-by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The chapters examine climate change projections for ASEAN, the relationship between income inequality and environmental sustainability, greening initiatives pursued by microfinance institutions, farmers' awareness and perceptions of climate change, potential introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Malaysia, the impact of Euro-4 automobile emission regulations on the development of technological capabilities and the threats and vulnerability people face from climate change and national disasters. The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change's Conference of Parties meetings to cap temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the next century has set the steering and the interventions essential for mitigating global warming. There is increasing recognition that initiatives must be taken across the globe regardless of the state of development of each individual country, and so this book has important practical implications. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

This book focuses on different aspects of initiatives-to check pollution and to reduce consumption of fossil fuels-by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The chapters examine climate change projections for ASEAN, the relationship between income inequality and environmental sustainability, greening initiatives pursued by microfinance institutions, farmers' awareness and perceptions of climate change, potential introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Malaysia, the impact of Euro-4 automobile emission regulations on the development of technological capabilities and the threats and vulnerability people face from climate change and national disasters. The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change's Conference of Parties meetings to cap temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the next century has set the steering and the interventions essential for mitigating global warming. There is increasing recognition that initiatives must be taken across the globe regardless of the state of development of each individual country, and so this book has important practical implications. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

Since 1988, Malaysia's remarkable economic performance has attracted attention around the world and been subject to much study and enthusiastic acclaim. However, in the wake of the financial crisis of 1998, the debate has centred on whether this impressive growth rate can be sustained. As the economy moves beyond growth based on low labour costs and other factor-endowed advantages, industrial technology development becomes increasingly critical to continued growth. This volume, and its companion, "Technology, Competitiveness and the State", examine and evaluate Malaysian industrialization in terms of its experience of and prospects for industrial technology development. The focus is on the development of Malaysia's technological-industrial base from a sector and firm-specific perspective, including the role of foreign multinationals in this process. The text reflects on whether existing development strategies can be maintained in the wake of the financial crises sweeping the East Asian economies.

Among the key debates fought in developing economies is whether globalization through liberalization is the means by which economies can industrialize and provide their labour forces with tangible improvements in the material conditions of living. This book addresses this issue head on, using empirical evidence from some of the fastest growing and transition economies from East and South Asia. Countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia have already started to deindustrialize before enjoying industrial maturity, while with the exception of China and evidence of some growth in real wages in the other economies, the evidence appears compelling to suggest that increased industrialization and integration into the capitalist economy have not succeeded in providing significant labour improvement. The evidence suggests that a proactive state, focusing on enhancing the material conditions of labour, is pertinent to ensuring sustainable long term industrialization and thus improving material conditions for workers. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

Among the key debates fought in developing economies is whether globalization through liberalization is the means by which economies can industrialize and provide their labour forces with tangible improvements in the material conditions of living. This book addresses this issue head on, using empirical evidence from some of the fastest growing and transition economies from East and South Asia. Countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia have already started to deindustrialize before enjoying industrial maturity, while with the exception of China and evidence of some growth in real wages in the other economies, the evidence appears compelling to suggest that increased industrialization and integration into the capitalist economy have not succeeded in providing significant labour improvement. The evidence suggests that a proactive state, focusing on enhancing the material conditions of labour, is pertinent to ensuring sustainable long term industrialization and thus improving material conditions for workers. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

Existing accounts of East Asia s meteoric growth and structural change has either been explained as one dictated essentially by markets with strong macroeconomic fundamentals, or a consequence of proactive governments. This book departs from such a dichotomy by examining inductively the drivers of the experiences. Given the evolutionary treatment of each economic good and service as different, this book examines technological catch up with a strong focus on the industries contributing significantly to the economic growth of the countries selected in Asia. The evidence produced supports the evolutionary logic of macro, meso and micro interactions between several institutions, depending on the actors involved, structural location and typology of taxonomies and trajectories. The book carefully picks out experiences from the populous economies of China, India and Indonesia, the high income economies of Korea and Taiwan, the middle income economies of Malaysia and Thailand, and the transitional least developed country of Myanmar.

Chapters 1-7 of this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy.

This book examines the nature of the marketization of corporate boards following the introduction of the split share reform, corporate board and shareholder relations, corporate performance, and risk-taking conduct in China. The chapters cover topics such as determinants of corporate board size and independence, corporate risk-taking conduct under different controlling shareholder types. The book deepens our understanding of corporate governance mechanisms as most previous studies have limited their findings using mainstream perspectives grounded on neoclassical theory. It outlines that China's corporate board composition is determined by the board's scope of operation, monitoring, bargaining power, and other governance mechanisms and regulations. It also offers a comparison between China's experience with other economies in general and other transition economies in particular. As such, the book represents an essential overview of the current concerns regarding corporate governance in China. It is of great interest to legal researchers, policymakers, and legal practitioners working with business investments in China.

Using fresh evidence and a novel methodological framework, this book sheds light on how institutions have driven economic reform in China's urban housing sector. The book systematically analyzes the developmental role of the state in China, with rich empirical evidence to show how decentralization has brought about significant participation by the different levels of government with the central, provincial and municipal governments focusing on initiation, intermediation and implementation roles respectively. Despite many Western analysts claiming that it is single complex superstructure, the institutionalization of governance structures in China following reforms has taken place through strong coordination between governments at different levels to meet targeted plans. Although China still has a long way to go to before it can be considered developed, this book elaborates on how the country offers a unique alternative for other states seeking to develop by striking a balance between capitalist and socialist instruments.

Using fresh evidence and a novel methodological framework, this book sheds light on how institutions have driven economic reform in China's urban housing sector. The book systematically analyzes the developmental role of the state in China, with rich empirical evidence to show how decentralization has brought about significant participation by the different levels of government with the central, provincial and municipal governments focusing on initiation, intermediation and implementation roles respectively. Despite many Western analysts claiming that it is single complex superstructure, the institutionalization of governance structures in China following reforms has taken place through strong coordination between governments at different levels to meet targeted plans. Although China still has a long way to go to before it can be considered developed, this book elaborates on how the country offers a unique alternative for other states seeking to develop by striking a balance between capitalist and socialist instruments.

Ever since Schumpeter's groundbreaking work there has been a plethora of new research seeking to extend the direction and dynamics of innovation. Using a rich account of detailed interviews, this book offers new evidence on how latecomers have successfully caught up and leapfrogged incumbent firms. Catching Up and Leapfrogging: the new latecomers in the integrated circuits industry explores how technological transitions affect latecomer catch-up strategies, and vice versa, in a high technology industry. It looks to the East Asian latecomers who, towards the end of the twentieth century, pioneered a new pathway through organizational change by specializing in the key production stages of integrated circuits and pushing technologies further. This volume assesses how latecomer resource acquisition strategies have varied alongside structural industry changes and evaluates the mechanisms through which firms started life as technology followers and rose to become technology leaders. Xiao-Shan Yap and Rajah Rasiah present a unique story about how firm strategies evolve from the catching up phase to the leapfrogging phase, captured from the accounts of managers on the ground. It is the first time firm-level strategies have been systematically analysed to describe twenty-first century strategic management in the integrated circuits industry in particular, and the high tech industry in general. The evidence and analysis in this book offers insights for chief executive officers, policy-makers and researchers to revisit existing approaches to the theory of catching up and leapfrogging.

This book employs novel techniques to compare technological capabilities and economic performance in seven countries at varying stages of industrial development: Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, South Africa and Uganda. The author uses a methodology drawn from the technology capability framework, but extensively adapts and simplifies it to extract common cross-industry parameters for statistical analysis. He employs the framework to compare the technological, local sourcing and performance dynamics of foreign and local firms in a variety of industries. The results offer a common synthesis and fresh ideas on the importance of foreign firms in technological capability building and economic performance in developing countries. They reveal that although foreign firms tend to enjoy higher human resource and process technology capabilities in the most underdeveloped economies, in the more advanced nations this comparative advantage is significantly eroded. The author shows how the institutional and systemic strength of a country can help to explain the level of participation of foreign firms in R&D activities. He also identifies domestic and regional markets, infrastructure, incentives, natural resources and human capital as important factors in stimulating significant R&D investment by foreign firms. This interesting and well-written book presents an original examination of the dynamic relationship between foreign firms, technology, innovation and economic performance in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Academics, policymakers and NGOs interested in development economics, technology policy and trade will find this to be an extremely valuable resource.

Ever since Schumpeter's groundbreaking work there has been a plethora of new research seeking to extend the direction and dynamics of innovation. Using a rich account of detailed interviews, this book offers new evidence on how latecomers have successfully caught up and leapfrogged incumbent firms. Catching Up and Leapfrogging: the new latecomers in the integrated circuits industry explores how technological transitions affect latecomer catch-up strategies, and vice versa, in a high technology industry. It looks to the East Asian latecomers who, towards the end of the twentieth century, pioneered a new pathway through organizational change by specializing in the key production stages of integrated circuits and pushing technologies further. This volume assesses how latecomer resource acquisition strategies have varied alongside structural industry changes and evaluates the mechanisms through which firms started life as technology followers and rose to become technology leaders. Xiao-Shan Yap and Rajah Rasiah present a unique story about how firm strategies evolve from the catching up phase to the leapfrogging phase, captured from the accounts of managers on the ground. It is the first time firm-level strategies have been systematically analysed to describe twenty-first century strategic management in the integrated circuits industry in particular, and the high tech industry in general. The evidence and analysis in this book offers insights for chief executive officers, policy-makers and researchers to revisit existing approaches to the theory of catching up and leapfrogging.

This book presents the future development of Malaysia. It puts together building blocks to achieve a better future. These blocks are poverty and income inequality, population, demography and urbanization, growth and technological progress, education, human capital and skills, finance, labor, the environment, and health care. It examines the reasons for the decline in the agricultural sector with an emphasis on food security. It discusses Malaysia’s economic growth and structural change compared to some of the Northeast East Asian and Southeast Asian countries. It explains the projections of population and demographic change and its bearing on government policies.  It evaluates the country’s education sector and discusses the strategies to improve its role in the country further. It argues for replacing ethnic-based approaches with a needs-based system for the future direction to build a plural Malaysia.  This insightful book is of interest across several fields, including demography, economic development, and urbanization.

This book brings together a set of incisive essays that interrogate Malaysian history and social relations which began during pre-colonial times, and extended to colonial and post-colonial Malaysia. It addresses economic misinterpretations of the role of markets in the way colonial industrialisation evolved, the nature of exploitation of workers, and the participation of local actors in shaping a wide range of socioeconomic and political processes. In doing so, it takes the lead from the innovative historian, Shaharil Talib Robert who argued that the recrafting of history should go beyond the use of conventional methodologies and analytic techniques. It is in that tradition that the chapters offer a semblance of causality, contingency, contradictions, and connections. With that, the analysis in each chapter utilises approaches appropriate for the topics chosen, which include history, anthropology, sociology, economics, politics, and international relations. The collection of chapters also offer novel interpretations to contest and fill gaps that have not been addressed in past works. The book is essential reading for history students, and those interested in Malaysian history in particular.