And so, here is a list of eight (completely arbitrary number) “indie” public goods that we think would make Malaysia — or in some cases, at least our immediate neighbourhoods — a better place to live for all.
Whatever happens with global politics following the year of elections — especially with the US presidential election — navigating the waters of global policy means navigating “swamps, deserts and chasms”.
if we really believe in the reforms or the development goals we wish to achieve, we have to hold fast, keep to the process, stay coordinated as a team, be willing to choose what’s right over who’s who and understand that nation-building is a never-ending journey
As such, as the government prepares for the final round of rationalising RON95 subsidies, it would do well to make “good enough” policy decisions — which is how life and evolution work anyway — rather than technically perfect policy decisions
We must understand that trying new things means that some will fail, and that what is important is that we must fail in a way that allows us to move forward.
Taking the position as chair of Asean in 2025 requires some prioritisation of what is a national issue versus what is a regional or even global issue. Climate, electrification, food, regional geopolitical security, may be some of these issues, but what else?
Therefore, it isn’t that less bureaucracy is a good thing; we just need a high-performing bureaucracy. We really need to quit sabotaging our organisations, public and private.
So, as we aspire to be “innovative” or “creative”, we must learn to be better at evaluating plausible useful counterfactuals. Playing too safe doesn’t really get us anywhere beyond what may be in textbooks. And being too unanchored just creates arguments as useful as those in YouTube comments.
The best part about reading stuff is learning new ideas and seeing how they might connect to other ideas or be applicable to certain situations or circumstances. So with that in mind, I thought I would just share four of the most interesting ideas I learnt in 2023, be it from books or articles.
humankind is imperfect in the first place — and try to see that, rather than get worked up over performative displays of purity, we should instead channel our efforts towards resolving real issues, helping others rather than judging them.
That said, as mentioned, cash transfers to compensate for subsidy rationalisation address symptoms, not causes. The key challenge we need to tackle remains a cost-effective, reliable and well-connected inter- and intra-city public transport system.
It isn’t just our national finances that can ill-afford such populist measures, it is our entire development path. Can we come together to better understand our elite social terrain, and make moves towards a more sustainable future?