Paradoxes of public administration in Malaysia

Malaysia presents an interesting case study in more than one way. In recent decades Malaysia has recorded impressive gains in terms of economic growth, together with considerable reductions in poverty and inequality within the society. The nation has also successfully transformed itself from a producer of primary commodities to a major exporter of manufacturing products to the international market. These changes have been accompanied by commendable progress in social indicators, measured in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI). Such achievements have put Malaysia on the world map as one of Asia’s success stories, despite some setbacks and slow growth since the Asian financial crisis. Much of the credit for these achievements is attributed to the public service, which has played a central role in the successful planning and execution of socio-economic development programmes.

Malaysia is also at the forefront of public sector reform, designed to modernize the nation’s public bureaucracy and to enhance its capacity and performance in supporting national developmental goals. The early years of the independent administrative system in Malaysia witnessed a wide variety of reforms involving its internal management, service delivery models and interface with citizens and other users of public services. Yet, the study of public administration in Malaysia presents a paradox in many ways. Notwithstanding the many and varied reforms to the public sector, very little appears to have changed in terms of the structure, operational processes and behaviour of public bureaucracies. Not only has the colonial legacy remained strong, but also Malaysia’s public governance continues to suffer from numerous weaknesses, anomalies and contradictions. The chapter explores some of these paradoxes and comments on their effects on administrative performance. It begins with an overview of the institutional arrangements of the administrative machinery. It then presents a short summary of reforms and reorganisations introduced in various spheres of administration. The final section examines and analyses significant paradoxes and pitfalls of the present approach to public administration.