BRIEF October 19, 2021

A Resilient Recovery for Malaysia

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s lives. After keeping a relatively tight lid on the spread of the virus for most of 2020, confirmed cases in Malaysia surged from late 2020 through 2021, followed by a much larger surge of Omicron cases in early 2022. Nevertheless, with the country’s impressive progress in vaccination, Malaysia has entered an endemic phase starting April 2022.

The World Bank is conducting a series of surveys at household and firm levels to generate near-real-time insights into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis that can be used to inform the design of policies and programs that meet the needs of the society and businesses in Malaysia.

High Frequency (HiFy) Household Survey

In addition to the direct morbidity and mortality impacts of the disease, measures to control the spread of the virus have had far-reaching effects on people’s lives and livelihoods. It is widely expected that COVID-19 impacted unequally on the welfare of households, with the poor and vulnerable that experience the most adverse effects. There are also concerns that the recovery may also be uneven, pushing existing inequalities to the forefront. ...

The COVID-19 Business Pulse Survey (BPS)

The COVID-19 Business Pulse Survey (BPS) is a rapid survey designed to measure the various channels of impact of COVID-19 on firms, firm adjustment strategies, and public policy responses. The World Bank, in collaboration with a private survey company, conducted the 1st round of the Malaysia BPS in October 2020. Firms were sampled randomly from an online business panel database, which consists of 100,000 plus companies in all sectors and sizes, across Peninsular and East Malaysia.

Perspectives

Brighter days ahead for many Malaysians, yet some are still left behind

MAY 31, 2022

The World Bank conducted a second round of its High Frequency (HiFy) Phone Survey in October and November 2021.

Malaysian households during COVID-19: Fading resilience, rising vulnerability

OCTOBER 27, 2021

To better understand the distribution of impacts and speed of recovery among Malaysians, the World Bank’s COVID-19 High Frequency (HiFy) Household Monitoring Survey was conducted between May 18–June 16, 2021. This nationally representative survey involved 2,210 adult respondents across all states via phone interviews.

How Asia Pacific can turn COVID crisis into an opportunity

JANUARY 04, 2021

For the East Asia and Pacific region, the disease has delivered a triple shock: the pandemic itself, the economic impact of containment measures, and reverberations from the global recession brought on by the crisis. But the longer-term impact of COVID on the region will depend less on the virus than on policy decisions and how governments respond.

From vulnerable to pandemic poor

OCTOBER 27, 2020

The pandemic has been especially cruel to the poor and the vulnerable. These include those with little or no assets or savings to fall back on, informal workers who are not covered by or have inadequate social safety nets, and those who have lost their jobs, been placed on unpaid leave, or experienced pay cuts because of mobility restrictions.

Malaysia: Recover, revitalize and reform after the storm

JULY 22, 2020

While Malaysia is expected to reach high-income status in the coming years, there are key gaps in the policy framework that are holding the country back from achieving its full potential—and these gaps are even more costly during a crisis.