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Although corruption in Malaysia is nothing new, it has exacerbated in recent years as reflected in the deteriorating corruption perceptions index and a series of large-scale corruption scandals that have made headlines around the world. Lately, corruption has become so endemic and widespread that Malaysia has earned the dubious distinction of a kleptocracy, notwithstanding ongoing anti-corruption campaigns. This paper examines and analyses Malaysia's anti-corruption experience and the factors that explain it. Drawing on data from both primary and secondary sources it argues that anti-corruption drives have remained narrowly-focused, ignoring some critical aspects of Malaysia's political economy including the politics-business nexus, patronage networks and money politics which are at the heart of grand corruption. It further argues that much of the high-level corruption has its roots in politics and that the powerful political figures have remained largely untouched by anti-corruption drives. Finally, it reveals that despite institutional revamp, key institutions continue to suffer from a lack of independence and effective power. Such constraints, reinforced further by political manipulation and selective application of laws, have undermined the effectiveness of anti-corruption initiatives. The Malaysian experience offers lessons and insights that have wider relevance.

The landscape of development policy is vast and varied. In all societies of the contemporary world, development is crucial both as a means and an end. Unlike in the past, when the underdeveloped countries invariably had to strive hard across many sectors - economic, political and social - to accomplish the goals of development, the developed countries also now encounter similar challenges despite having attained significant social and economic progress. Thus, the process of formulating and implementing development policies is a core function in all states, regardless of their size, location, level of prosperity, ideological inclination and strength of the economy. Managing development remains a consistent challenge for many countries as they struggle to perform the essential activities of governing with limited resources and weak institutions. These handicaps have forced governments - in developing countries, in particular - to concentrate on only a limited number of areas for improvement, notably those that allow regimes to showcase their 'accomplishments' for gaining political advantages locally and globally. For that reason, the more pressing problems of societies are usually overlooked, with merely a few privileged groups reaping benefits from development initiatives. Since the late twentieth century, the compass of development has been widening and multiplying the range of policies and strategies for a variety of development sectors - some traditional, others contemporary. The policy process has increasingly become intricate and unwieldy, given the rise of unfamiliar challenges often hard to assuage, such as recurring financial crises, climate change and the global coronavirus pandemic. Issues in an uncertain milieu keep accumulating, testing national governments and international policy regimes' capability to cope with them. Global conventions and international organizations, with the support of regional bodies, national governments and civil society, make relentless efforts to find solutions for a ...

The world faces major challenges due to wars, natural disasters, environmental fallout, human-itarian crises, economic downturns, political and social upheavals and global pandemics. Improving the quality of life in a hostile environment is a daunting task. Until recently, the state has been the driver of change and engine for growth. State intervention propelled the South and the East to advance but from economic perspectives - accelerated growth through robust fiscal and monetary policies, export expansion, import substitution, industrialization, infrastructure building and technological innovation (Zafarullah & Huque, 2012). State inter-vention was accompanied by policy intervention for promoting equality, equity, economy and social well-being (see Karagiannis & King, 2019). However, with the state's roll-back shaped by neoliberal approaches to development and the ramifications of globalization, the influences and interventions of the market, private sector, non-state organizations and international regimes take on critical dimensions in development and the policy process. Arguably, with restrained state functionality and the growing intensity of self-regulating markets, the sphere of democratic policymaking has considerably shrunk and the potential for policy failures increased (Peck, Theodore & Brenner, 2012). Perhaps this can be reversed or remitted by 'inclusive neoliberalism' (Porter & Craig, 2004). In general, the nature of the state, 'ideological' leanings of policy regimes, the structure of political power arrangements and the effects of stressors stemming from within national boundaries or beyond, determine the kind of policies to be adopted. The sorts of social, economic, environmental or technological transformation that a policy aims to attain will influence the preferences of the political leadership, amplitude of bureaucratic support, mechanics of the policy process, the degree of stakeholder involvement, force of public opinion and the influence or participation of the ...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore how local government bodies in Nepal are empowered to play their constitutional roles and engage in activities to deliver public services at the doorsteps of the people effectively. The focus is on the institutionalisation of federalism, its implications for local governance, and capacity development of local authorities.Design/methodology/approach - Ideas of decentralisation, governance and public management have been used to interpret findings based on qualitative research methods by key informant interviews, focus group discussions and personal observations conducted in five selected municipalities in Nepal.Findings - The process of operationalising the power of local government bodies is more conventional and hierarchic. At the same time, the formulation and implementation of inclusive plans and budgeting are confined with certain formalities that do not necessarily allow citizens the space for voices. Federal government grants constrain fiscal jurisdiction and control over resource mobilisation. The mere preparation and administration of local government legislation and relevant by-laws have weakened the capacity of local government bodies.Originality/value - From interpretation of first-hand data, this paper has identified the pitfalls of the federalisation process, the constraints deter the devolution of power to local bodies as well as the transformation of local governments into autonomous institutions in Nepal.

Purpose: With climate change and environmental degradation being major issues in the world today, it is imperative for governments within a regional setting to collaborate on initiatives, harmonize their policies and develop strategies to counter threats. In South Asia, several attempts have been made to create a common framework for action in implementing synchronized policies. However, both political and technical deterrents have thwarted moves to accommodate priorities and interests of collaborating states. The purpose of this paper is to assess these issues and existing policies/strategies in selected South Asian countries and evaluate integrated plans of action based on collaborative partnerships. Design/methodology/approach: Using a broad exploratory and interpretive approach, this paper evaluates how harmonization of environmental principles and synergies among countries can help reduce the effect of climate change and environmental hazards. Based on a review of ideas and concepts as well as both primary and secondary sources, including official records, legislation, inter-state and regional agreements, evaluation reports, impact studies (social, economic and ecological), and commentaries, it highlights several initiatives and processes geared to creating environmental protection standards and practices for the South Asian region. Findings: Climate change has resulted in devastating impacts on people. It contributed to the proliferation of climate refugees and high incidence of poverty in South Asia. The region faces both political and technical obstacles in developing a sustainable approach to combat climate change. This is exacerbated by non-availability of information as well as reluctance to acknowledge the problem by key actors. The best strategy will be to integrate policies and regulations in the various countries of the region to develop strategic plans. The approach of prevention and protection should replace the existing emphasis on relief and rehabilitation. Originality/value: The paper provides a critical overview of the climatic and environmental problems encountered in the South Asian region and provides pointers to resolving shared problems through the use of policy instruments for regulating the problems within the gamut of regional environmental governance. It attempts to identify solutions to offset regulatory and institutional barriers in achieving preferred results by emphasizing the need for redesigning regulatory structures and policy approaches for ecological well-being.

This paper analyses factors influencing effective service delivery at the grassroots level in Nepal, through a qualitative field study which includes in-depth interviews with 110 community-based organisations (CBOs) and five focus group discussions. The findings indicate that a wide range of governance arrangements have been deployed in the effort to achieve effective service delivery. However, many CBOs lack a solid governance system for their development undertakings, leading to poor performance and lack of accountability. A number of factors are identified as causing this weak practical application of community governance, notably institutional mechanisms, socio-economic structures, power politics and interests, capacity limitations and resource constraints.