Income Distribution & Sustainable Economic Development in East Asia

Income Distribution & Sustainable Economic Development in East Asia: A Comparative Analysis . 2008. Penerbit UKM: Bangi. ISBN 978-967-942-844-5 (paper back cover). RM50.00.ISBN 978-967-942-865-0 (hard cover). RM60.00. 400 pages. Ragayah Haji Mat Zin, Medhi Krongkaew.

The East Asian region has experienced high economic growth for several decades. While this rapid growth has managed to bring down poverty incidence in all the eight countries studied (China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), the impact on income distribution is not so clear-cut. The chapters in this volume show that income distribution in these countries seems to be widening in the years both before and after the 1997-1998 economic crisis. The country authors then try to link the various policy measures pursued in their respective countries that would impact directly or indirectly on income inequality. In particular, they attempt to explain trend of widening income inequality in these countries and the factors behind the dynamics of income inequality, especially the roles of development policies in increasing the income gap. Each of these chapters conclude with several policy recommendation in what the respective government could do to improve income distribution and achieve sustainable growth.

RAGAYAH HAJI MAT ZAIN, Ph.D., Professor and Principal Fellow at the institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia. MEDHI KRONGKAEW, Ph.D., Professor of Economic and Director of Center for Poverty Studies, School of Development Economics, National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok, Thailand.

“The collection provides a wealth of comparable…. data on eight countries in Asia that can be used to address a large number of important questions bearing on the various relationships between income distribution, the factors that determine it, economic growth, and many policy questions involving issues of equity, etc. It will be of strong interest to economists and others active in this field and will facilitate in-depth work on important topics”.

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