Building a resilient Malaysia: Learning from Covid-19’s impact

Good recovery: Malaysia’s diversified and relatively more sophisticated economy provided greater buffers than neighbouring countries with higher incidences of poverty and greater dependence on fewer sectors, like tourism. — Photos: FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

I REMEMBER first arriving in Malaysia in late September 2021. Malaysia was already easing its way out of most movement restrictions. I found a society coping with the global crisis in an orderly and organised fashion. The rules in place seemed clear, and people were willingly following them. Over the ensuing months, I witnessed the country gradually and steadily regain its footing.

A little over a year after Malaysia officially transitioned to the endemic phase of the Covid-19 crisis, it’s easy to overlook the challenges we faced just a few years ago.