The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) embezzlement and money laundering scandal, which engulfed two Goldman Sachs bankers, has pushed the south-east Asian country into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. In fact, the Malaysia has been advancing on many fronts in the past few years.
For example, gross domestic product grew by an impressive 5.8% in 2017, “fuelled by strengthening domestic demand, improved labour market conditions and wage growth, as well as improved external demand for Malaysia’s manufactured products and commodity exports”, according to the World Bank. It is expected to grow by 4.9% in 2018, which is slower than previously expected but still robust.