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.
All in Culture
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.
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.
Perhaps a rule of thumb is as follows: “If you’re unsure, always choose against the status quo and always choose new.” Tradition is safe, but only innovation can get us where we need to go.
“New blood” necessarily means going against the status quo. That status quo can be entrenched for a variety of reasons, among which are the types of bonds developed since teenage-hood, forged in boarding schools across the nation.
It is not enough for policymakers to announce important ambitions and policy promises, we need all of Malaysia’s collective brain — our institutions, our cultural norms — to want to change as well. And that can be difficult.
Power distance and our “VIP culture”, which may have worked in different instances in the past or indeed in the present for a given objective, is unlikely to be conducive to future economic development objectives