The late 19th century and 20th century were amazingly eventful and transformative periods for the Malayan/Malaysian economy and its institutions. Defined by the signing of the Pangkor Treaty in 1874, waves of globalization, the boom and bust of tin and rubber, two divisive World Wars, the devastation of the Great Depression, the collapse of imperialism, decolonisation and the birth of nationalism, leading to the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957, followed by the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
Understanding economic and social history provides the foundations for transforming the country into a more prosperous, resilient and cohesive nation. A successful society with a collective national identity requires a critical mass of informed and engaged citizens, who understand the country’s present day economic and social achievements and challenges, and are open to discourse that will pave the way forward.
Sultan Nazrin Shah is passionately committed to achieving and sharing a deeper understanding of Malaysia’s long-run economic and social changes. His interest in national economic and social development was propelled through his PhD dissertation at Harvard University, where he made some provisional estimates of Malaya’s GDP for the early decades of the 20th century, and attempted to explain the economic changes that had occurred during this period through the use of econometric techniques.