For decades, Malaysia’s policymakers have been analyzing inequality with the wrong lens. Dr Lee Hwok-Aun , a political economy researcher at ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute unpacks how lumping rural and urban together, ignoring regional divides, and oversimplifying ethnic categories creates policies that miss the mark (and fuel division instead of solving it).
This conversation explores:
→ Why comparing all Bumiputeras to all Chinese obscures the real gaps (and ignores Indians entirely)
→ How B40 inequality between ethnic groups is actually narrowing, but nobody’s talking about it
→ What universal basic pensions could mean for Malaysia’s elderly crisis
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Follow Dr Lee here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hwok-aun-lee/
ISEAS: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/about-us/researchers/lee-hwok-aun/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=n_UUp7oAAAAJ&hl=en
More writing at Fulcrum: https://fulcrum.sg/contributors/lee-hwok-aun/
Articles mentioned in video:
NEP:
https://www.ehm.my/publications/articles/interethnic-income-inequality-in-malaysia-revisiting-old-records-exploring-new-narratives
Happiness:
https://fulcrum.sg/all-that-money-cannot-buy-patterns-of-satisfaction-in-malaysias-happiness-index/
Aging:
https://fulcrum.sg/malaysia-must-address-ailing-security-of-its-aging-society/
…
CHAPTERS
00:45 – Stepping back from the “for or against” trap
03:27 – Defining group advancement vs. need-based policies
07:31 – The data deception: why national averages lie
15:40 – How to explain inequality to your 17-year-old
21:55 – The real scandal of housing discounts and scholarships
25:47 – A balanced approach: merit + need + identity in universities
35:04 – Malaysia’s happiness paradox & why Terengganu beats KL
43:04 – Can Malaysia afford universal pensions?
52:59 – The future of work, AI, and group advancement policy
