Category Archives: Economics

Remembering the Tunku

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 12 February 2015. “IT was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, General Politics, Reflections, The Cause | Leave a comment

Oil and a more open budget

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Tricia

(First published in the Edge Malaysia on 12 January 2015, here). THE budget department of the Malaysian Treasury could be spooked by the current low price of crude oil that has fallen by almost half since Budget 2015 was announced, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Oil and Gas, Public Administration, Transparency and Good Governance | Leave a comment

Support the sharing economy

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Tricia

(first published in theSun on 12 November 2014, here). UBER – the increasingly popular ride-sharing mobile app that has riled up local authorities – has not only been controversial in Malaysia, but also in the Philippines, Australia, Germany and many others. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Paying it backward

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Tricia

(first appeared in theSun on 15 October 2014, here). AMIDST the media frenzy that surrounds the budget each year, not many pay attention to the supplementary budgets. Did you know that the government spends billions of ringgit that is outside the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Shedding light on public procurement

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 21 August 2014. ONE of the many criticisms against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that Malaysia is negotiating to sign alongside 11 other countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region is that procurement by government and state-owned … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Economics, General Politics, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Why more information is better

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 25 July 2014. WHAT both MH370 and MH17 have shown us is that accurate and timely information being provided to the public is absolutely crucial, and this is surely a lesson that must be extended … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Corruption, Media, Public Administration | Leave a comment

Reviewing the economy

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Tricia

First published in theSun here, on 10 July 2014. FEW writers and analysts are able to both identify precisely the challenges facing the Malaysian economy as well as communicate these in a manner easy to digest. Shankaran Nambiar’s new book, The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Leave a comment

A transparency tool we can use

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Tricia

First appeared in theSun here, on 20 June 2014 DURING the 2015 Budget Consultation, the World Bank representative said explicitly that Malaysia would have to cut its annual budget down by 2.5% each year starting immediately, if it is serious about … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Leave a comment

Push for a better quality of life

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Tricia

(First published in theSun on 5 June 2014, and can be accessed here). AS I prepared for my presentation to the prime minister last week on what the government can do to enhance Malaysians’ quality of life during the Ministry of … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Society, Crime, Economics, Public Administration, Water | Leave a comment

The rights of oil producing states

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Tricia

(First published in theSun on 22 May 2014, and can be accessed here). THE Sarawak state assembly recently passed a resolution calling for an increase from 5% to 20% of its oil royalty entitlement, along with seeking more developmental grants from … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Federalism, Public Administration | Leave a comment