
Households, Demography & Public Wellbeing
Understanding demographic transitions, household dynamics, and wellbeing indicators to inform evidence-based policies for Malaysia's diverse population.

Malaysia's demographic landscape is undergoing significant transitions that shape social and economic futures. Our research examines rapid population aging and its implications for healthcare and pension systems, declining fertility rates and changing family structures, inter-ethnic relations and social cohesion mechanisms, healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas, and education quality gaps affecting human capital development.
As Malaysia strives to enhance public wellbeing across all communities, we analyze household income patterns and cost of living pressures, mental health challenges and support systems, nutrition transitions and non-communicable disease burdens, social protection adequacy for vulnerable groups including B40 households, and mechanisms for promoting social mobility while preserving cultural diversity across Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities.
As Malaysia strives to enhance public wellbeing across all communities, we analyze household income patterns and cost of living pressures, mental health challenges and support systems, nutrition transitions and non-communicable disease burdens, social protection adequacy for vulnerable groups including B40 households, and mechanisms for promoting social mobility while preserving cultural diversity across Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities.
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Dec 29, 2025
The End of the American Deficit: Navigating the New Era of American Protectionism (Part 2)
Part 2: Building a New Architecture Explores the financial fragility of a world without a US deficit, urging Malaysia to pivot toward regional industrial integration and financial self-insurance to survive.
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OP-ED.
Dec 29, 2025
The End of the American Deficit: Navigating the New Era of American Protectionism (Part 2)
Part 2: Building a New Architecture Explores the financial fragility of a world without a US deficit, urging Malaysia to pivot toward regional industrial integration and financial self-insurance to survive.

Views
Dec 29, 2025
The End of the American Deficit: Navigating the New Era of American Protectionism (Part 1)
Part 1: The Crisis of the Export-Led Model Analyzes how US tariffs and the ART dismantle Malaysia's export-led model, arguing that new constraints on autonomy trap the nation behind a balance of payments wall.

OP-ED.
Dec 29, 2025
The End of the American Deficit: Navigating the New Era of American Protectionism (Part 1)
Part 1: The Crisis of the Export-Led Model Analyzes how US tariffs and the ART dismantle Malaysia's export-led model, arguing that new constraints on autonomy trap the nation behind a balance of payments wall.
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Dec 19, 2025
Finding Meaning in Education: The Journey of Entrepreneurship, Learning, and Creativity
The article reflects on entrepreneurship, education, and creativity as journeys rather than destinations. It talks about the “Myth of Arrival,” emphasizing meaning over material success. True learning lies in transformation and creativity emerges from inner experience as a means of self -expression. Success is redefined as continual growth and imaginative exploration.
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OP-ED.
Dec 19, 2025
Finding Meaning in Education: The Journey of Entrepreneurship, Learning, and Creativity
The article reflects on entrepreneurship, education, and creativity as journeys rather than destinations. It talks about the “Myth of Arrival,” emphasizing meaning over material success. True learning lies in transformation and creativity emerges from inner experience as a means of self -expression. Success is redefined as continual growth and imaginative exploration.
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Dec 17, 2025
Remarks on the purposes of a university education: Can theory be distinguished from practice?
Universities are under attack for being too theoretical in educating students which leave in turn; graduates who are apparently ill-prepared for ‘practice’ or the ‘real world’. This article is an attempt to explore and address basic assumptions of the university curriculum and the context in which universities (in the West) have developed since the middle of the nineteenth century which saw the expansion of what has come to be known as the ‘modern’ university. This is because the university, through time, has always had to absorb and accumulate changing aspirations-and perhaps also the presumptions- of successive generations and not surprisingly, it has also come to disappoint them. What this short piece hopes to do is to stimulate dialogue on an issue of public discourse that has directly and indirectly shape the way we think about university education in Malaysia.
.avif)
OP-ED.
Dec 17, 2025
Remarks on the purposes of a university education: Can theory be distinguished from practice?
Universities are under attack for being too theoretical in educating students which leave in turn; graduates who are apparently ill-prepared for ‘practice’ or the ‘real world’. This article is an attempt to explore and address basic assumptions of the university curriculum and the context in which universities (in the West) have developed since the middle of the nineteenth century which saw the expansion of what has come to be known as the ‘modern’ university. This is because the university, through time, has always had to absorb and accumulate changing aspirations-and perhaps also the presumptions- of successive generations and not surprisingly, it has also come to disappoint them. What this short piece hopes to do is to stimulate dialogue on an issue of public discourse that has directly and indirectly shape the way we think about university education in Malaysia.
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Working Papers
Demography
Financialisation & Indebtedness
Poverty & Social Mobility
Education
Health, Nutrition & Public Health
Ageing, Fertility & Demographics
Income, & Consumption
Society
Taxation
Stephanie Hsu
Tan Hui Hui
Kelvin Ling Shyan Seng
Khairin Ilaina Mohamed Amin
Fiha Febiala
Govind Nirav Rao
C. Hari S. Shankar
Afifah Binti Ahmad
Elisabeth Chan Wen Yi
Nurrdinan Serena Amer Sharaffudin
Nurhanina Zaharin
Dr. Amirah 'Aisha Badrul Hisham
Nur Hannani Binti Abd Ghafar
Tehleel Nazir
Yee Suet Ee
Balqis Athirah Binti Azhar
Shukri Mohamed Khairi
Muhammad Syamin Bin Azman
Nurul Farhana Binti Abdul Shukor
Aidil Farhan Bin Jasrie Arman Sany
Amirah Syazwani Binti Ahmad Junaidi
Dinie Joshry Shaqeel
Ts Dr Amirah Aisha Badrul Hisham
Professor Joseph Eugene Stiglitz
K. Kuhaneetha Bai
Nadia Malyanah Azman
Siti Maisarah Zainurin
Ndongo Samba Sylla
Malini Elango
Aqeel Khaldun
Belinda Lew
Muhammad Khairulamri
Nicholas Khaw
Nur Zulaikha Atiqah Mohd Zahril
Dr Diana Abdul Wahab
Dr Umawathy Techanamurthy
Bryan Yeoh Quan Jin
Wan Manan Wan Muda
Alyssa Chua Lee-Yen
Goh Ming Jun
Mohan Mahadeva
Yap Chun Hao
Syafa Mustaffa
Ammar Hanania Hazli Izma
Dr Yunus Yasin
Dato’ Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir
Professor Emeritus Dr. Tham Siew Yean
Datuk Hisham Hamdan
Khazanah Research Institute
Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Tan Mei Yi
Emir Izat Abdul Rashid
Lim Han Hsuen
Ida Madieha Abdul Ghani Azmi
Musaddiq Adam Muhtar
Nur Adilah Hamid
Chakrin Utit
Bach Nguyen Luong
Zainab Ali Ahmad
Kusairi Mohd Noh
Rokiah Alavi
Ibrahim Kabiru Maji
Illisriyani Ismail
Intan Nadia Jalil
Abdulla Ibragimov
Siti Nooraznie Abdul Rahim
Fatimah Mohamed Arshad
Dr Mohd Yusof Saari
Pierre Sauvé
Tan Theng Theng
Charissa Lee Yi Zhen
Yap Gin Bee
Tan Kar Man
Junaidi Mansor
Alia Muhammad Radzi
Yeu-Mynn Yeung
Prof. Wan Abdul Manan Wan Muda
Tan Zhai Gen
Umi Maisarah Kamis
Shukri Mohamed Khairi
Wong Ee Kin
Dr. Wan Khatina Wan Nawawi
Maia Hollins-Kirk
Grace Loh Wan Chi
Keelea Shaye Linsuau Soh
Hui San Chiam
Goh Hao Yi
Daniel Filippi
Azlin Natasha Mohd Ghazali
Balqis Athirah Azhar
Dr. Sarena Che Omar
Aqeel Khaldun (University of St Andrews)
Aidil Iman Aidid
Nurul Farhana Abdul Shukor
Nur Thuraya Sazali
Yugendran Rajaendran
Putera Daniel Hakeem
Siti Aiysyah Tumin
Laventhen Sivashanmugam
Nithiyananthan Muthusamy
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Mar 26, 2025
Regulating 'Buy Now, Pay Later': Global Approaches and Malaysia's Path Forward


OP-ED
Mar 26, 2025
Regulating 'Buy Now, Pay Later': Global Approaches and Malaysia's Path Forward
Financialisation & Indebtedness
Shereen Hazirah Hishamudin
Mar 26, 2025
Mar 26, 2025
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Views
Mar 13, 2025
From Home Cooking to Eating Out – Part II: Potential Cost-of-living and Health Trade-offs
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OP-ED
Mar 13, 2025
From Home Cooking to Eating Out – Part II: Potential Cost-of-living and Health Trade-offs
Food Systems & Smallholders
Agro-industrial Crops Management
Society
Health, Nutrition & Public Health
Dr Teoh Ai Ni
Mar 13, 2025
Mar 13, 2025
Views


Views
Dec 31, 2024
Rethinking ‘Who’s Rich?’ in Malaysia – Part 2: Some considerations


OP-ED
Dec 31, 2024
Rethinking ‘Who’s Rich?’ in Malaysia – Part 2: Some considerations
Income, & Consumption
Gregory Ho Wai Son
Dec 31, 2024
Dec 31, 2024
Views


Working Papers
Dec 30, 2024
Searching for the ‘Poor’ and the ‘Middle-Class’ in Malaysia


OP-ED
Dec 30, 2024
Searching for the ‘Poor’ and the ‘Middle-Class’ in Malaysia
Demography
Economic Growth & Structure
Income, & Consumption
Gregory Ho Wai Son
Dec 30, 2024
Dec 30, 2024
Working Papers


Views
Dec 26, 2024
Affordable Housing or Affordable Debt?


OP-ED
Dec 26, 2024
Affordable Housing or Affordable Debt?
Financialisation & Indebtedness
Theebalakshmi Kunasekaran
Dec 26, 2024
Dec 26, 2024
Views


Views
Dec 24, 2024
Vaping: The Lesser Evil?


OP-ED
Dec 24, 2024
Vaping: The Lesser Evil?
Health, Nutrition & Public Health
Wan Amirah Wan Usamah
Dec 24, 2024
Dec 24, 2024
Views


Views
Dec 21, 2024
Rising Medical Premiums: Can It Be Cured?


OP-ED
Dec 21, 2024
Rising Medical Premiums: Can It Be Cured?
Health, Nutrition & Public Health
Ilyana Mukhriz
Dec 21, 2024
Dec 21, 2024
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Views
Dec 18, 2024
Inisiatif Digital Kerajaan: Memanfaatkan Trend Digital Pra dan Pasca Pandemik


OP-ED
Dec 18, 2024
Inisiatif Digital Kerajaan: Memanfaatkan Trend Digital Pra dan Pasca Pandemik
Income, & Consumption
Salbiah Idris
Dec 18, 2024
Dec 18, 2024
Views


Views
Nov 28, 2024
Sustaining Nutrition During Crisis: School Feeding Adaptations in Times of Covid-19


OP-ED
Nov 28, 2024
Sustaining Nutrition During Crisis: School Feeding Adaptations in Times of Covid-19
Health, Nutrition & Public Health
Dr Teoh Ai Ni
Nov 28, 2024
Nov 28, 2024
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