Penang Institute is proud to host a public lecture titled “Malaysia Economic Monitor: Re-energizing the Public Service” which is scheduled as follows:
Date: 22 August 2019, Thursday
Time: 9:30am – 11:30am (Doors open at 9:00am)
Venue: Conference Hall, Penang Institute
The Malaysia Economic Monitor (MEM) series is a long-running and high-impact flagship publication, prepared in close partnership with the government of Malaysia. The publication comprises of two semi-annual reports, each structured around two parts; the first part looks at recent economic developments and economic outlook, and the second part takes on a thematic chapter focusing on a topic that is of a critical challenge to Malaysia’s achievement of shared growth.
This latest edition of the MEM on Re-energizing the Public Service talks about how the Malaysian public service can fully realize its potential by investing in upgrading its human resources; encouraging and developing an open, transparent environment; and managing the impact of new and emerging trends, including technological innovations and digitalization. Building capacity and capability in the public service is vital for Malaysia’s successful transition to a high-income and developed nation.
About the Speakers
Richard Record is the Lead Economist for Malaysia in the World Bank Group’s Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he manages the Bank’s engagement on economic policy issues in Malaysia, including publication of the flagship Malaysia Economic Monitor and the report on Malaysia’s Digital Economy – A New Driver of Development. Richard has previously worked across a number of countries in the East Asia and Africa regions, managing programs on macroeconomics, trade and private sector development, including assignments based in Lilongwe, Vientiane and Hanoi. He holds bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in economics respectively from the London School of Economics, the School of Oriental and African Studies and the University of Manchester.
Rajni Bajpai is a Lead Public Sector Specialist at the World Bank. In her current assignment, she manages the dialogue on Public Sector issues with the government and the Public Sector Performance outbound knowledge program at the World Bank’s Global Knowledge and Research Hub in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With 25 years of experience in development, Rajni has worked on improving public sector performance (including issues of service delivery, local governance, budgetary and fiscal reforms, monitoring and evaluation, civil service, and public administration reform). Prior to relocating to Malaysia, she worked extensively with sub-national governments in South Asia. She has led several lending operations and multi-sector technical assistance programs, and has written a number of policy pieces, developed strategies and co-authored reports. In her prior assignment she was the Program Leader for Economic Growth Finance and Institutions (EFI) group in India, which comprised of four global practices in the World Bank.
In Malaysia, Rajni was the lead author for the special topic (Part 2) of the Economic Report, ‘Re-energizing the Public Service’, which was launched on July 1, 2019. She is currently working on the high-income study for Malaysia and co-authoring a global report on anti-corruption, which will capture successful cases of dealing with corruption and their relevance for other countries.
Rajni holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and an MBA in Finance.
Tentative Agenda
9.00am – Registration
9.30am – Presentation by Dr Richard Record, Lead Economist, and Ms Rajni Bajpai, Lead Public Sector Specialist, World Bank
10.20am – Panel discussion
1. Ms Rajni Bajpai, Lead Public Sector Specialist, World Bank Malaysia
2. Dr Shahridan Faiez, Consultant, Think City
3. YB Chris Lee, Pulau Tikus Assemblyman
4. Ms Ong Wooi Leng, Head of Socioeconomics & Statistics Programme, Penang Institute
Moderator: Mr Timothy Choy, Senior Analyst, Socioeconomics & Statistics Programme, Penang Institute
11.00am – Q & A session
11.30am – End
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