FROM COLONIAL POLITICAL ECONOMY TO MALAYSIA MADANI: TRACING THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE THOUGHT OF UNGKU AZIZ
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/rp2qzr67Keywords:
Human-Centered Development, Ungku Aziz, MADANI Economy, Malaysian Development, Political EconomyAbstract
The article examines the intellectual framework of Ungku Aziz in the development of Malaysia's story from colonial times to the present day under the leadership of the MADANI administration under Anwar Ibrahim. It claims that Malaysia's economic development is a gradual shift from a growth-oriented political economy to a more human-oriented developmental approach. In the colonial era, economic systems were mainly geared towards external capitalist interests, leading to socio-economic disparities and rural poverty. Since independence, the successive governments from PM1 to PM10 have adopted different national development policies such as the New Economic Policy (NEP), National Development Policy (NDP), Vision 2020, the Shared Prosperity Vision and the MADANI framework, which are all different approaches of the government towards development and social well-being. This study uses a qualitative archival approach to examine policy documents, Malaysia Plans (RMK), speeches, institutional reports and selected writings of Ungku Aziz, to trace the historical development of development thought in Malaysia. The article focuses on the fact that Ungku Aziz's thoughts on poverty eradication, distributive justice, cooperative economics and human dignity were prescient of the current Human-Centered Development (HCD) discourse. The study finds that the development discourse in Malaysia is becoming more human-centered, especially in the recent policy discourses linked to the MADANI framework.
Downloads
References
Ahmad, N. A., & Zulkifli, N. (2021). Human-centred development and social justice in Malaysia: Reassessing indigenous development thought. Kajian Malaysia, 39(2), 45– 68. https://doi.org/10.21315/km2021.39.2.3
Alnasser Mohammed, S. A. S., Al-Saif, S. S., Grada, M. S., Alaswadi, W., & Bamahros, H. (2025). Nontraditional banking, financial technology, and poverty alleviation: A regression-based perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05347-0
Asadullah, N., Biradavolu, M., Rao, V., & Simler, K. (2025). Is there an underside to economic growth? A mixed-methods analysis of Malaysia. World Bank Economic Review, 39(4), 867–892. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhaf030
Bernardo, S., Vasconcelos, M. L., & Rocha, F. (2025). SDG progress and well-being across the EU: Are we happier yet? Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06064-4
Borhanuddin, M. S. (2015). Ungku Aziz's perspective on development. Turkish Journal of Islamic Economics, 2(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.15238/tujise.2015.2.1.1-15
Borhanuddin, M. S. (2018). Human-centered development and indigenous measurement: Reassessing Ungku Abdul Aziz's Sarong Index. Kajian Malaysia, 36(2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.21315/km2018.36.2.1
Fioramonti, L., Coscieme, L., Costanza, R., Kubiszewski, I., Trebeck, K., Wallis, S., Roberts, D., Mortensen, L. F., Pickett, K., Wilkinson, R., Ragnarsdóttir, K. V., McGlade, J., Lovins, H., De Vogli, R., & Wilkinson, S. (2022). Wellbeing economy: An effective paradigm to mainstream post-growth policies? Ecological Economics, 192, 107261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107261
Isa, Z. M. (2020). An empirical evidence of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) microcredit programme participants' quality of life. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 28(4), 3335–3354. https://doi.org/10.47836/PJSSH.28.4.46
Jalil, N. A., Karim, N. A. A., Mustaffa, W. S. W., Rambeliramli, N., Gamal, A. A. M., & Gan, P. T. (2023). Linking economic development to socio-economic well-being in Malaysia. Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 19(3), 550–555. https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-22360
Jomo, K. S. (2015). Colonial land law, property rights and Malay peasant inequalities: Ungku Aziz on land subdivision and its consequences. Institutions and Economies, 7(3), 20– 38.
Jomo, K. S., & Wee, C. H. (2023). Development and inequality in Malaysia: Revisiting the political economy of growth. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 53(4), 611–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2022.2093245
Mohamed, Z., & Said, R. (2013). The probability to be persistent poor in Malaysia: New evidence from panel data. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 21(September), 125–140.
Mohammad, M. A., & Hassan, R. (2025). Human-centred public policy and inclusive development under Malaysia MADANI. Journal of Southeast Asian Public Policy, 17(1), 55–78.
Mokhtar, A., & Mustafa, R. (2015). Poverty alleviation: The absence of understanding or the understanding of absence? Institutions and Economies, 7(3), 124–140.
Nguyen, T. T. T., Tran, H. T. T., & Nguyen, N. B. (2025). The impact of financial inclusion on poverty in the ASEAN-8 countries. Asian Economic and Financial Review, 15(1), 44–58. https://doi.org/10.55493/5002.v15i1.5282
Rahman, M. K., Masud, M. M., Akhtar, R., & Hossain, M. M. (2022). Impact of community participation on sustainable development of marine protected areas. International Journal of Tourism Research, 24(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2480
Rasiah, R., Mansor, N., & Chandran, V. G. R. (2015). Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz: A key pillar in Malaysia's development. Institutions and Economies, 7(3), 1–19.
Ravallion, M. (2020). Ethnic inequality and poverty in Malaysia since May 1969: Part I: Inequality. World Development, 134, 105040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105040
Ridzuan, M. R. B., Rahman, N. A. S. B. A., Yew, J. S., Manas, N. H. N. B., & Kuan, K. L. (2020). Productive welfare policy: An innovative way in social safety net in Malaysia. International Journal of Public Policy and Administration Research, 7(1), 16–22. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.74.2020.71.16.22
Rongen, G., Ahmad, Z. A., Lanjouw, P., & Simler, K. (2024). Regional and ethnic inequalities in Malaysian poverty dynamics. Journal of Economic Inequality, 22(1), 101–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-023-09582-w
Shamsudin, S., & Hamid, A. F. (2024). Reassessing Ungku Aziz's contribution to Malaysian development thought. Kajian Malaysia, 42(1), 75–97. https://doi.org/10.21315/km2024.42.1.4
Suhaimi, M., & Johari, F. (2026). Ungku Aziz and human-centred development in Malaysia: A maqasid shariah perspective. Al-Qanatir International Journal of Islamic Studies, 35(2), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.64757/alqanatir.2026.3502/1387
Ungku Aziz, U. A. (1958). Concepts of agglomeration and consolidation and related research methodology. Malayan Economic Review, 3(1), 45–62.
Ungku Aziz, U. A. (1964). Poverty and rural development in Malaya. Kajian Ekonomi Malaysia, 1(1), 1–21.
Ungku Aziz, U. A. (1970). External aid for agricultural education and training in developing countries from the recipients' point of view. Journal of Agricultural Education, 12(2), 34–45.
Yusuf, A. A., Maryam, A. K., Shiddieqy, D. F., & Awad, A. (2025). The role of sukuk financing in economic growth and poverty reduction: Empirical evidence from selected ASEAN countries. Public and Municipal Finance, 14(2), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.21511/pmf.14(2).2025.04
Zailani, M. N., Mohd Satar, N. H., Zakaria, R. H., & Ismail, M. K. (2025). Measuring the poverty level of poor and destitute aṣnāf in Kuala Lumpur: Application of an enhanced Malaysian Multidimensional Poverty Index. International Journal of Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development, 17(3), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.55188/ijifsd.v17i3.890
Zulkarnain, A., & Isahaque, A. (2013). Income inequality, poverty and development policy in Malaysia. Procedia Economics and Finance, 7, 196–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(13)00235-4
Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2019). The narrow corridor: States, societies, and the fate of liberty. Penguin Books.
Alkire, S., & Foster, J. E. (2021). Understanding and measuring multidimensional poverty. Oxford University Press.
Rostow, W. W. (1960). The stages of economic growth: A non-communist manifesto. Cambridge University Press.
Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
Stiglitz, J. E., Fitoussi, J.-P., & Durand, M. (2024). Beyond GDP: Measuring what counts for economic and social performance. OECD Publishing.
Aziz, U. A. (2017). A vision of education in the 21st century. In Global voices in education: Ruth Wong memorial lectures (Vol. II, pp. 21–29). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3539-5_2
Bunyamin, M. A. H., Mohd Zain, M. I., & Adam, A. A. (2024). Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid: In Sarjana ke Pemikir Sosial: Suatu Lonjakan Akademik (pp. 9–26).
Reports and Institutional Publications
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2025). Poverty in Malaysia 2024.
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2026). Gross domestic product 2025.
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2026). Household income and basic amenities survey report 2025.
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2026). Multidimensional poverty in Malaysia 2024.
Ministry of Finance Malaysia. (2024). MADANI economy: Empowering the people.
United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Human Development Report 2025: A matter of choice: People and possibilities in the age of AI.
World Bank. (2024). Malaysia Economic Monitor: Reimagining social protection.
