The Asia Foundation

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private...

Advancing Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunities for Small and Medium Businesses

The Asia Foundation has a decades-long history of supporting broad-based economic growth across Asia through both public and private channels. Through its Economic Development programs, the Foundation has assisted micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in accessing the legal information, financing, business services, and skills they need to enhance their competitiveness and profitability, thereby helping to create jobs and reduce poverty.

Youth constitutes a large segment, 43 percent, of the total population in Malaysia. The diverse and numerous roles that they play in the country's political, social and economic landscapes underline the fact that they are a critical...

Youth constitutes a large segment, 43 percent, of the total population in Malaysia. The diverse and numerous roles that they play in the country's political, social and economic landscapes underline the fact that they are a critical demographic group to engage. In April 2012, The Asia Foundation conducted its fourth nationwide survey of Malaysian youth opinion as part of the Foundation's continuing efforts to enhance public engagement and innovative research in support of improving governance, civil society, economic progress, and sustainable development in Malaysia. Over 2,100 youth across all states and federal territories in Malaysia were engaged in the comprehensive survey. The survey provides a window into the attitudes, concerns and practices of young Malaysians on a range of contemporary political, social and economic issues.

Since early 2011, The Asia Foundation and the Korea Development Institute have been working together to move development effectiveness forward by facilitating mutual learning among both emerging Asian development cooperation partners and...

Since early 2011, The Asia Foundation and the Korea Development Institute have been working together to move development effectiveness forward by facilitating mutual learning among both emerging Asian development cooperation partners and "traditional" aid donors.

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the...

Since the 1990s, The Asia Foundation has supported programs aimed at accelerating the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) by civil society, government, and the private sector. Certain advances in ICT – such as the pervasive adoption of mobile telephones and the rapid spread of internet connectivity – have dramatically increased the speed of information processing, as well as the ease, frequency, and quality of communications in the developing world.

The Malaysia Business Environment Index (BEI) Pilot Study 2012 is the first survey that investigates firms' perceptions about the business environment at the district level. Utilizing data collected from 635 small and medium-sized firms, the...

The Malaysia Business Environment Index (BEI) Pilot Study 2012 is the first survey that investigates firms' perceptions about the business environment at the district level. Utilizing data collected from 635 small and medium-sized firms, the BEI is a composite of nine sub-indices which measure the business environment in 11 city and municipal districts across six states in peninsula Malaysia, and ranks them against each other based on a 100-point scale. The nine sub-indices have been structured to capture the key elements of the local business environment that can be influenced by district regulations or district implementation of federal and state policies.

In this issue: "Afghanistan Poll," "Ten Years in Vietnam," "First-ever Survey on Thailand's Troubled South," "Luce Scholars," "Cambodia: Countering Domestic Violence," "Partner Highlight: Del Monte Foundation Gets Books to Children in the...

In this issue: "Afghanistan Poll," "Ten Years in Vietnam," "First-ever Survey on Thailand's Troubled South," "Luce Scholars," "Cambodia: Countering Domestic Violence," "Partner Highlight: Del Monte Foundation Gets Books to Children in the Philippines," "Spotlight: David D. Arnold Leads The Asia Foundation," and Program Highlights from Malaysia and Mongolia.

Occasional Paper No. 3, September 2010

This paper sketches out the operational features of emerging political economy-based approaches to sectoral economic policy reform. Section 1 traces some of the literature on the political...

Occasional Paper No. 3, September 2010

This paper sketches out the operational features of emerging political economy-based approaches to sectoral economic policy reform. Section 1 traces some of the literature on the political economy analysis of reforms. Section 2 outlines the international development community’s increasing recognition of the political economy aspects of economic governance, and their efforts to undertake sharper political economy analysis of reform challenges. Finally, in Section 3 the paper identifies elements of operational reform approaches that move beyond disengaged political economy analysis towards on-the-ground implementation of political strategies in policy reform processes.

V. Bruce J. Tolentino, Director, Economic Reform and Development, The Asia Foundation

Press Release: The Asia Foundation in partnership with the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research released findings from their third opinion poll, the 2008 National Youth Survey, which gauges Malaysia's youth perceptions on lifestyle, current...

Press Release: The Asia Foundation in partnership with the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research released findings from their third opinion poll, the 2008 National Youth Survey, which gauges Malaysia's youth perceptions on lifestyle, current issues, values, politics, and their own levels of civic and social involvement.

The survey was conducted by Merdeka Center for Opinion Research through telephone interviews throughout Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak. A total of 2,518 respondents provided completed feedback using a structured questionnaire. Each...

The survey was conducted by Merdeka Center for Opinion Research through telephone interviews throughout Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak. A total of 2,518 respondents provided completed feedback using a structured questionnaire. Each respondent is defined as a youth aged 20 between 35 years old. The poll was conducted from 13th November to 9th December 2008. Sampling for the respondents was structured along the national population profile (specifically proportional to gender, ethnicity and state of residence).

The objectives of this survey were to get young adults in Malaysia to speak for themselves rather than others who speak on their behalf on issues pertaining to their participation in community activities and politics as well as their views towards lifestyle and values.

This is the third consecutive year Merdeka Center has been conducting the National Youth Survey with the support of the Asia Foundation.

The Asia Foundation maintains elections programs, including monitor and voter education, in nine countries in Asia. In recent years, the Foundation has implemented significant elections programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia,...

The Asia Foundation maintains elections programs, including monitor and voter education, in nine countries in Asia. In recent years, the Foundation has implemented significant elections programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Timor-Leste.

The Asia Foundation maintains elections programs, including monitor and voter education, in nine countries in Asia. In recent years, the Foundation has implemented significant elections programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia,...

The Asia Foundation maintains elections programs, including monitor and voter education, in nine countries in Asia. In recent years, the Foundation has implemented significant elections programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Timor-Leste.

Between August 8 and September 1, 2007, The Merdeka Center for Opinion Research conducted a nationwide telephone survey of 1,508 randomly selected Malaysians between 20 and 35 years old. Sampling for the respondents was structured along...

Between August 8 and September 1, 2007, The Merdeka Center for Opinion Research conducted a nationwide telephone survey of 1,508 randomly selected Malaysians between 20 and 35 years old. Sampling for the respondents was structured along the national population profile and is specifically proportional to gender, ethnicity and state of residence. The objective of this survey was to ask young adults in Malaysia to speak on issues pertaining to their participation in community activities and politics as well as their views towards governance and democracy. Six focus groups with youths and members of youth groups were also conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Public discourse over the role of youth in nation building and participation in public has often been characterized by clichés that propound their role as the “future leaders of the nation” and as those retaining...

Public discourse over the role of youth in nation building and participation in public has often been characterized by clichés that propound their role as the “future leaders of the nation” and as those retaining “idealism and purity of innocence”. This survey seeks to investigate how far these views are sustained by the youth themselves and how they relate to the political system, public life and their immediate community.