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This paper estimates a six-equation model of financial development and economic growth for Malaysia to shed light on the mechanisms linking these two variables. The results indicate that financial development leads to higher output growth via promoting both private saving and private investment. The findings also provide some support for the hypothesis of endogenous financial development and growth models that finance leads to higher growth through improved efficiency of investment. There is evidence that repressionist financial policies, such as interest rate controls, high reserve requirements and directed credit programs, have contributed positively to financial development. However, other direct government interventions in the economy, such as resource allocation through the operation of a broad-based employee provident fund (EPF) scheme and various public investment programs, seem to have impacted negatively on economic development in Malaysia.

This paper estimates a six-equation model of financial development and economic growth for Malaysia to shed light on the mechanisms linking these two variables. The results indicate that financial development leads to higher output growth via promoting both private saving and private investment. The findings also provide some support for the hypothesis of endogenous financial development and growth models that finance leads to higher growth through improved efficiency of investment. There is evidence that repressionist financial policies, such as interest rate controls, high reserve requirements and directed credit programs, have contributed positively to financial development. However, other direct government interventions in the economy, such as resource allocation through the operation of a broad-based employee provident fund (EPF) scheme and various public investment programs, seem to have impacted negatively on economic development in Malaysia.

This paper examines the determinants of private investment in Malaysia, with an emphasis on the postcrisis investment slumps. A static private investment function is derived from the neoclassical framework, with appropriate modifications to account for the structural features observed in the country. To introduce dynamics into the model, we adopt a cost minimization problem, which assumes firms optimize investment levels with respect to a quadratic loss function. The results suggest that the availability of financial resources in the economy has a significant positive impact on private investment. Macroeconomic uncertainty exerts a negative influence on the investment climate in the private sector. Both foreign direct investment and public investment are found to have a complementary effect on private investment. Consistent with the prediction of the neoclassical model, a higher level of aggregate output raises private investment, whereas the user cost of capital has the opposite impact. (JEL O16, O53)

This paper provides an empirical assessment of the effects of financial sector policies on development of the financial system in Malaysia over the period 1959–2005. The technique of principal component analysis is used to construct a summary measure of interest rate policies in order to account for the joint influence of various interest rate controls imposed on the Malaysian financial system. The results show that economic development, interest rate controls, and capital liquidity requirements positively affect the level of financial development. However, greater trade openness, higher statutory reserve requirements, and the presence of directed credit programs appear to be harmful for development of the Malaysian financial system. The results provide some support to the argument that some form of financial restraints may help promote financial development. (JEL E44, E58, O16, O53)