Why a coconut boom is bad for Malaysia’s approved permit system

A licensing regime for Malaysia’s import and export firms governing everything from coconuts to cars is threatening to become an Achilles’ heel as the country looks to seal the deal on two regional trade pacts before the end of the year. Critics are taking aim at what they see as a lack of transparency and objectivity in the system and have described it as a gravy train for a select few businesses. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is awaiting…