This brief paper updates the factual information provided in an earlier paper of the author “Fifty years of Malaysian economic development: policies and achievements” of 2007 and modifies its argument at several places.

Malaysia is a small country but has big achievement in economic development to its credit. This year (August 2007) the country celebrates the completion of the first 50 years of its independence. It is in the fitness of things that this paper takes a look at its economic achievements over the...