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13 Focus in Continuity: A Framework for Malaysia's Foreign
Policy in a Post-Pandemic World - A Monograph
matching, increasing SME capabilities in Conclusion
line with international demand, and
encouraging partnerships can go a long Across the globe, even as COVID-19
way in making economic openness work anxieties move into the background,
for Malaysia’s long-term development. newer uncertainties are fast emerging;
from surging global food prices to geopo-
Inclusive: Trade creates winners and litical conflict and an imminent climate
losers, and as such it is crucial that trade crisis, new hazards once again endanger
and development policy make inclusivity a the engines of Malaysia’s development. As
main priority. This would need to involve Malaysia begins to decide its place in a
policies that support inter-regional and rapidly shifting post-COVID world – it is
inter-industry mobility, supporting the becoming clear that economic openness
ability of workers who are a ected by and strengthening global linkages will
import competition and/or technological need to be a central part of this. Policy-
change to be able to switch sectors, makers should note however, that taming
regions, or upskill. First steps include the forces of globalisation will be neither
ensuring universal access to retraining easy nor automatic – it will require both
programmes and active labour market careful policy action and steadfast political
policies (ALMPs) like those o ered under will.
the national Employment Insurance
System (EIS). Calvin Cheng is a Senior Analyst in
the Economics, Trade and Regional
Additionally, Malaysia can make Integration Division, Institute of Strategic
negotiating trade agreements itself more and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.
inclusive. Trade agreements like the
CPTPP and RCEP constitute a lot more
than just tari reduction and as such, can
have profound e ects on the entire
Malaysian economy, households, and
workers. This calls for higher transparency
and greater involvement of stakeholders
in the negotiation of trade agreements,
alongside actively working to assure
everyday Malaysians that trade
agreements would not diminish
opportunities for local businesses. After all,
these are all notions that echo ideas
outlined in the Malaysian government
policy concepts and documents like the
Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, and
Keluarga Malaysia.