One Idea, Two Tuns & Three Hundred German Companies Later Smart Partnership and Malaysia-Germany Relations

• Main Author: Azhari-Karim (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Shah Alam, Selangor Pusat Penerbitan Universiti (UPENA), Universiti Teknologi MARA 2009
• Subjects: International economic relations; Malaysia > Foreign economic relations > German; Germany > Foreign economic relations > Malaysia
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 This study attempts to documents the impact and implications of smart partnership, a policy instrument applied by the Malaysian Government in the management of its trade, investment and political cooperation with Germany in the 90s and beyond. Through the application of the social constructivist concepts of norm and norm entrepreneurs, the implementor of the idea, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu, respectively were identified and their roles analysed. The study also traces of development of 300 German companies in Malaysia and suggests reasons, not only for their investment decisions, but also for the resulting enhancements in the bilateral cooperation. The study concludes that a combination of external, domestic and idiosyncratic factors, in particular the smart partnership idea and its agents, have contributed to this positive trend.