The Kuala Lumpur Roundtable (KLR) is a panel of economists, policy experts and corporate figures with the ambition to act as the conscience of the nation and the advocates for reform in Malaysia. Its mission is to improve the wellbeing of all Malaysians as well as to showcase Malaysia as a successful example of economic development. The KLR contributes to this mission through providing constructive recommendations to the government after critical deliberations on the country’s current economic, social and governance challenges. This report summarises the KLR discussion by highlighting the most pertinent issues and presenting the reader with the conclusions reached at each Roundtable discussion.

This first session’s primary focus was Shared Prosperity, taking both a long- and short-term perspective. It emphasized the idea that continued focus on growth is important and should be achieved through commitment to free trade policies and fiscal reforms. This perspective should be supported by more effective investment in human capital following the idea that Malaysia needs to create prosperity before sharing it. Overall, the panel agreed on the need for greater community engagement, reduced government involvement in business, as well as less dependency on foreign labor to promote growth towards 4IR and capital-intensive production. To approach the next ten years under the vision of shared prosperity, the government has to undergo significant institutional reform.