Behind the Myth (RLE Modern East and South East Asia) - 9781138901230

Taylor & Francis

For most people, the \u2018economic miracle\u2019 in Asia means Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese dynamism. Less is known about Southeast Asia, where economies grouping over 300 million people have clocked astounding growth rates since 1970. But fast growth is only part of the story. In this book, first published in 1989, James Clad offers an inside look at Malaysia\u2019s \u2018kampong commerce\u2019, at oil-rich Brunei\u2019s \u2018Shell-fare state\u2019 and at Thailand\u2019s business blend of bureaucrats, generals and local Chinese. The author opens the window on business politics in Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as explaining how Singapore, although a notable exception to economic passivity and business corruption, still remains hostage to geography and overseas Chinese insecurity. Apart from these country surveys, this book also analyses the constants of South East Asia and Hong Kong, including commodity earnings and the financial power of the Chinese. It describes claims .