All in Economics
But if we can hold off zombie interest groups for public policy, learn not to put human beings on pedestals, but simply take what their best and wisest decisions are for ourselves, while respecting our own mental health and that of everyone around us, maybe we’ll get through 2025 alright.
in reality, Malaysia’s main problem is not so much that costs are getting higher — this is true everywhere. Our main problem is that incomes are not rising as quickly and this is where the bulk of our attention should be
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.
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.
As such, while I had to watch on in semi-disappointment as The Dark Knight Rises failed to stick its landing, we are not just passive observers watching a movie unfold. The economic vision the prime minister has laid out is a strong start, but it needs to stick its landing.
Even if you make it through to the third round and come back from three games to nothing to tie it at three to three, the same habits that led you to lose extremely winnable games throughout the playoffs will come back to haunt you in high-pressure situations.
…maybe we can go some ways into setting ourselves up for the future amid a really trying global environment and, maybe unlike my theory about my own fortunes, it can be all uphill from here! And if we are even more lucky, we might come out of this far, far stronger. Maybe we could be like Mike.
Survival requires adaptability and agility, making full use of all the tools in our toolbox, instead of being a hammer treating everything as nails. And our longer-term future depends on our ability to grow, change and innovate — we should take a cue from nature and be as creative as we can be.
Those in power typically prefer the status quo; after all, rules were made by those who were powerful enough to set the rules in the first place. And while rules are ostensibly made for the benefit of all, they are rarely, if ever, made at the expense of those in power.