An Overview of Activities for the year 2022

I am pleased to present the Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2022, which highlights the achievements and milestones of our association over that year. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, our association has remained steadfast in its commitment to advancing our mission.

Throughout the year, we have continued to focus on our core objectives, which include facilitating and inculcating greater awareness and understanding of important economic issues in the Malaysian public. I am proud to report that we have made significant progress in these areas, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our exco members, secretariat staff, volunteers and members.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of our activities, accomplishments, and financial performance over the past year. It is a testament to our association's resilience, adaptability, and commitment to excellence, even in the face of adversity.

On 29 March 2022, the 59th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Economic Association (Persatuan Ekonomi Malaysia) was held at Econo-cube, located at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya. Following the meeting, an award ceremony was conducted to recognize the recipient of the Latifah Merican Cheong Memorial Medal (LMC-MM). The award was made to Dr Yong Sook Lu in recognition of her achievement as the Best Teacher for the year 2019.

Webinar-Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor's Address was conducted in conjunction with the release of BNM Annual Report 2021 (AR 2021), Economic and Monetary Review 2021 (EMR 2021) and Financial Stability Review for Second Half 2021 (FSR 2H2021). The panel discussion on the Malaysian economy was held on 31 March 2022 through Zoom platform. The Keynote address was delivered by YBhg Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, Deputy Governor of BNM. He covered a wide range of topics related to the state of the economy, including recent trends, challenges and risks, and policy measures taken by BNM to support growth and stability. The keynote address was followed by a discussion on various economic issues facing the country by a panel of experts in their respective fields, namely Mr Lee Heng Guie, Executive Director of Socio Economic Research Centre, Ms Julia Goh, Vice President of Global Economics Markets Research UOB Malaysia and Mr Firdaos Rosli, Chief Economist of Malaysia Rating Corporation Berhad. The panel discussion session was moderated by Dr Jorah Ramlan, the Vice-President of MEA. More than 150 participants from diverse sectors, including commercial, industrial and governmental, attended the event.

Yayasan MEA successfully held its 31st Annual General Meeting on 30 June 2022 at the EconoCube in the Faculty of Business and Economics at Universiti Malaya. The AGM was held in hybrid mode, with some of the Trustees attending in person while others attended through Zoom.

In addition, we organised two notable seminars in August and September 2022. On 26 August 2022 Professor Donghyun Park and Dr Irfan Qureshi from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) delivered a seminar on "Entrepreneurship and Digital Entrepreneurship" in a closed session. Adjunct Professor J. Phillip Vincent, a MEA Committee Member, moderated the session. On 9 September another seminar entitled "The Consequences of Russia's Invasion and Sanctions" was held at the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) Auditorium, Universiti Malaya, featuring Dr Iikka Korhonen, Director of Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT). I had the honour to chair the session. Both seminars were well-attended by students, educators, researchers and entrepreneurs.

The 17th International Convention of the East Asian Economic Associations (EAEA) was held on 27-28 August 2022 at Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in partnership with the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) of Sunway University. The convention's theme was "Growth, Resilience and Sustainability: Asian Dynamism in an Uncertain World," and MEA was invited to be the co-organiser. The convention featured keynote speakers, including YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Bin Mohamed, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Malaysia, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, SDG Advocate for UN Secretary-General and Mari Elka Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. MEA hosted one of the plenary sessions titled "Malaysia’s Economic Recovery: Digitalization and Green Transition," chaired by Professor Evelyn Shyamala and featured distinguished panellists, Professor Mahendhiran, a MEA Committee Member, Professor Woo Wing Thye of SDSN Malaysia, Tan Sri Datuk Professor Dr Kamal Salih of Universiti Malaya and myself.

The Financial Education Network (FEN) organised the National Financial Literacy Symposium (NFLS) 2022 on 11-12 October 2022 at Sasana Kijang, BNM, with the theme "Advancing Financial Literacy Towards Rebuilding Financial Resilience Post-Pandemic." The inaugural NFLS 2022 was co-hosted by Perbadanan Insurans Deposit Malaysia (PIDM) and BNM in collaboration with MEA. This event was in conjunction with FEN's Financial Literacy Month 2022. The symposium received papers from around the world and was a success thanks to the hard work of the Scientific Committee.

In contrast to the previous year, our flagship Post-Budget debate was postponed to 2023 due to the dissolution of Malaysia’s Parliament on 10 October 2022. General elections were held in Malaysia on 19 November 2022.

The last event of the year was the 45th Federation of ASEAN Economic Associations (FAEA) Conference, which took place on 24 – 25 November 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The conference is organised annually by member associations, but with different jointly selected themes. The 45th conference theme was "Economic Recovery and Growth in ASEAN Countries After the Covid-19 Pandemic and in the Context of Great Fluctuations in the International Economy". During the conference, ASEAN economists exchanged views and research results, shared economic development experiences of other countries, and proposed ideas on strategies and policies for ASEAN's economic cooperation. Two paper writers from MEA, Professor Evelyn Shyamala and Professor Hooy Chee Wooi were selected to present papers. Dr Santha, as the Honorary Secretary and I, as the President attended the conference as MEA representatives.

Finally, on behalf of the Exco members, I would like to express my gratitude to MEA members, business associates and friends for their continued support and assistance in MEA ventures. Acknowledgements

The Association wishes to express its gratitude and appreciation to the following:

• The Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics, University Malaya, who co-organised the Association's activities.
• The Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, for their cooperation and support.
• All representatives of the press and media for providing publicity on the activities of the Association.
• MJES Editorial Board and sub-committee members.
• Bank Negara Malaysia.
• Ministry of Finance.
• Panelists and speakers who participated in MEA events.
• Donors and Sponsors.
• Organisations and Individuals who supported MEA events.