abstract: 'Malaysia has consistently placed high priority on reducing income

  inequality, particularly between ethnic groups, with increasing emphasis

  in recent years on national rather than intergroup inequality, exclusion

  of low-income households, and gender disparity. Official statistics show

  steeply declining household income inequality in recent years, and a

  marginal gender wage gap, but further investigation finds different

  trends and more nuanced pictures. This paper presents alternative

  findings that pose questions about the official account. Computing

  estimates of wage distribution, the study finds moderate changes in

  inequality, with relatively higher wage growth at the top and bottom

  ends managers, production and elementary workers while professionals,

  skilled workers and service workers have experienced slower gains.

  Shifts in Malaysia''s economic structure and labour markets are

  consistent with the modest changes in inequality that are observed, and

  somewhat confound the drastic drop plotted in official sources. On

  gender inequality, women''s rapidly increased educational attainment and

  steadily rising labour participation have bolstered their economic

  standing, and may account for the surprisingly low average male female

  wage disparity. However, when disaggregated by occupation, age group,

  and employment status, substantial gender gaps are observed. Malaysia''s

  efforts to redress inequality warrant more rigorous analyses and

  systematic policies.'
affiliation: 'Lee, HA (Corresponding Author), ISEAS Yusof Ishak Inst, 30 Heng Mui
  Keng Terrace, Singapore 119614, Singapore.

  Lee, Hwok-Aun, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Inst, 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119614,
  Singapore.

  Choong, Christopher, Khazanah Res Inst, Res, Mercu UEM, Level 25,Jalan Stesen Sentral
  5, Kuala Lumpur 50470, Malaysia.'
author: Lee, Hwok-Aun and Choong, Christopher
author-email: 'lee\_hwok\_aun@iseas.edu.sg

  christopher.choong@krinstitute.org'
author_list:
- family: Lee
  given: Hwok-Aun
- family: Choong
  given: Christopher
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1355/ae36-3d
eissn: 2339-5206
files: []
issn: 2339-5095
journal: JOURNAL OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN ECONOMIES
keywords: inequality; Malaysia; income; wage; labour; gender
keywords-plus: WAGE DIFFERENTIALS
language: English
month: DEC
number: 3, SI
number-of-cited-references: '67'
orcid-numbers: 'LEE, Hwok-Aun/0000-0003-4513-5235

  Choong, Christopher/0000-0002-4477-5022'
pages: 329-354
papis_id: e4c7733cd60c7ec6cc7de964f5d1a72d
ref: Lee2019inequalitymalaysia
researcherid-numbers: 'LEE, Hwok-Aun/B-8835-2010

  '
times-cited: '5'
title: Inequality in Malaysia Empirical Questions, Structural Changes, Gender Aspects
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000503802500004
usage-count-last-180-days: '3'
usage-count-since-2013: '10'
volume: '36'
web-of-science-categories: Economics
year: '2019'