Biography

Dr Abdillah Noh is an Associate Professor in the History and International Studies programme. He is intrigued by institutions, and the idea of institutional change and that interest has taken him to an eclectic range of projects from politics, economic, public policies to historical works.

Having worked in the realms of institutions and institutional change for many years, he is convinced of the need to appreciate and understand state or organisation’s social, political, historical and economic character before recommending any forms of institutional change. While he believes that agency is important to any institutional change process, any judgement or policy prescription must be based on a deeper appreciation of the organisation or state’s political, economic, social and historical imperatives.

He aims to collaborate with people from various research backgrounds who are equally interested in the idea of institutions and institutional change.

Teaching

• Introduction to International Studies (AH-2204/AH-2308)
• Research Methods in International Studies (AH-2206)
• The Political Economy of Maritime Southeast Asia (AH-2315)
• The Political Economy of Mainland Southeast Asia (AH-2316)
• International Political Economy (AH-3319)
• Middle East: Past, Present and Future (AH-3323)

Current Projects:

• State formation and political economy of post-colonial Malaysia
• The nature of political change in Southeast Asia
• A post-oil future and the political economy of small states

Potential Projects:

I am keen to work with anyone who has research interest in the following areas:

• Institutions and the nature of institutional change
• Political economy (Southeast Asia and the Middle East)
• State formation (Southeast Asia and Middle East)
• Post-oil age and development issues
• Public Policy, International Political economy, and development
• Politics (Southeast Asia and the Middle east)

Research Grants and Consultations

• Administrative Reform in the Malaysian Bureaucracy: Assessing the nature of Institutional Change in MAMPU. Fundamental Research Grant Scheme.
• NGOs and Civil Society in Malaysia. Ministry of Education Research 2019, collaboration with the University of Malaya.
• Consultancy with the World Bank: A Study of Malaysia Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
• Consultancy with the Johor State Government, Malaysia.
• A new conceptual Framework on Representative Bureaucracy. Fundamental Research Grant, 2019.
• Exploring the Characteristics of Research on Civil Society and Liberalism in Malaysia: Policy Implications. Fundamental Research Grant Scheme.
• Examining Malaysia’s Parliamentary-Majoritarian System: Is There a Need for Change? Fundamental Research Grant Scheme.

Publications

Books

Noh, A. (forthcoming). Malaysia’s state formation: Small steps and large outcomes of a contested leviathan. Routledge.

Noh, A., & Yashaiya, N. (2022). Issues in public policy and administration in Malaysia: An institutional analysis. World Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1142/12285

Book Chapters

Noh, A., & Yashaiya, N. (2018). Administrative reform in malaysia: Experimenting with collaborative governance. In A. Farazmand (Ed.), Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy and governance. Springer.

Cheong, K. C., Lee, H. A., Singaravelloo, K., & Noh, A. (2017). Technical and vocational education and training: From policy to implementation. In S. Malakolunthu & N. C. Rengasamy (Eds.), Policy discourses in Malaysian education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315642703-6

Noh, A. (2017). Economic diversification: Timing, path dependence and increasing returns. In M. Sani & Y. Al-Saleh (Eds.), Economic diversification policies in natural resource rich economies (pp. 100-117). Routledge.

Cheong, K. C., Goh, K. L., Noh, A., Singaravelloo, K., & Lee H. A. (2016). Population, human capital and development: The Malaysian experience. In N. P. Tey, K. C. Cheong, & R. Rasiah (Eds.), Revisiting Malaysia's population-development nexus: The past in its futures. University of Malaya Press.

Noh, A. (2014). Malaysia’s dilemma: Economic reforms but politics stay the same. In D. Singh (Ed.), Southeast Asian affairs 2014 (pp. 190-202). ISEAS Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814517966-014

Journal Papers

Noh, A., & Yashaiya, N. (2023). When institutions ‘bite’: Malaysia’s flawed democratisation. Contemporary Politics, 29(4), 492-513. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2023.2185176

Noh, A. (2022). Transnationalism and Chinese diaspora’s struggle for identity in British Malaya (1900- 1957). Akademika, 92(2), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.17576/akad-2022-9202-16

Yahaiya, N., & Noh, A. (2022). Should heterogeneity matter: Evaluating public service motivation in a non-homogeneous society. Intellectual Discourse, 30(1), 33-57.

Noh, A. (2021). Democracy and prosperity: Reinventing capitalism through a turbulent century. Institutions and Economies, 13(1).

Noh, A. (2019). Malaysia, one year after: An interview with Syed Hamid Albar. Critical Asian Studies.

Noh, A., & Yashaiya, N. (2019). Examining the collaborative process: Collaborative governance in Malaysia. Halduskultuur, 20(1), 46-64.

Yashaiya, N., & Noh, A. (2019). Persistence of bureaucratic representativeness: Identifying antecedents to representative bureaucracy. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 41(4), 203-216.

Noh, A. (2014). Historical institutionalism and economic diversification: The case of Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 10(9).

Noh, A. (2014). Islam, state and public policy in Malaysia: Negotiating complexities. Halduskultuur, 15(2). 204-221.

Noh, A. (2014). Malay nationalism: A historical institutional explanation. Journal of Policy History, 26(2).

Noh, A. (2014). Malaysia’s 13th general election: A short note on Malaysia’s continuing battle with ethnic politics. Electoral Studies, 34, 266-269.

Noh, A., Drechsler, W., & Urinboyev, R. (2014). Introduction to the special issue: Islamic public administration: First explorations in the former Second World and other regions. Halduskultuur, 15(2), 120-122.

Tumin, M., Noh, A., Jajri, I., Chong, C. S., Manikam, R., & Abdullah, N. (2014). Factors that hinder organ donation: Religio-cultural or lack of information and trust? Journal of Experiemental and Clinical Transplantation, 11(3), 207-210. doi: 10.6002/ect.2012.0194

Tumin, M., Noh, A., Raja Ariffin, R. N., Mohd Satar, N., Yong, S. L., Lim, S. K., & Ng, K. P. (2014). Low organ donation rate in Malaysia: A survey. Journal of Health and Translational Medicine, 17(1), 14-17. doi: 10.22452/jummec.vol17no1.3

Tumin, M., Noh, A., Chong, C. S., Lim, S. K., Abdullah, N., & Ng, K. P. (2013). Non-organ donors’ attitude towards incentives. Journal of Clinical Transplantation, 27(3), 316-319. doi: 10.1111/ctr.12132

Tumin, M., Noh, A., Chong, C. S., Mohd Satar, N., Lim, S. K., Abdullah, N., & Ng, K. P. (2013). Strategies targeted at motivating unrelated living kidney donation. Annals of Transplantation, 18, 314-319.

Tumin, M., Noh, A., Mohd Satar, N., Chong, C. S., Lim, S. K., Abdullah, N., & Ng, K. P. (2013). Organ donation in Muslim countries. Annals of Transplantation, 18, 671-676.

Rasiah, R., Noh, A., & Tumin, M. (2009). Privatizing healthcare in Malaysia: Power, policy and profits. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 39(1).

Noh, A., & Tumin, M. (2008). Remaking public participation: The case of Singapore. Asian Social Science, 4(7).

Working Papers

Yashaiya, N. H., & Noh, A. (2022). Public service motivation in an ethnically heterogeneous society: Towards a new conceptual framework (Institute of Asian Studies Working Paper No. 70). Universiti Brunei Darussalam. (Link)

Noh, A. (2016). Political change and institutional rigidity in Malaysia: Is there a way out? (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Working Paper).

Noh, A. (2013). Malaysia and the consociational option: Is there a path dependent logic? (Tun Abdul Razak School of Government (TARSOG) Working Paper No. 2013/01). Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

Noh, A. (2013). Natural resources and economic diversification: A case of Malaysia (Tun Abdul Razak School of Government (TARSOG) Working Paper No. 2013/02). Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

Noh, A. (2011). Re-explaining Malay nationalism: The path-dependent argument (Asia Research Centre Working Paper No. WP 172). University of Murdoch.

Noh, A. (2010). Small steps, big outcome: A historical institutional analysis of Malaysia’s political economy (Asia Research Centre Working Paper No. WP 165). University of Murdoch.

Noh, A. (2008). Institutions and institutional change: A case of Malaysian bureaucracy (University of Malaya Working Paper No. 2008-14). University of Malaya.

Noh, A. (2007). Institutions and development: Malaysia’s new economic policy (Faculty of Economic and Administration Working Paper No. 2007-11). University of Malaya.

Noh, A. (2007). Remaking public participation in Singapore: Fact and substance (Faculty of Economics and Administration Working Paper No. 2007-15). University of Malaya.

Essays and Reports

Noh, A. (2023). The South China Sea as global public good. Commentary Board, Critical Asian Studies. https://doi.org/10.52698/XWNL6397

Noh, A., & Chang, D. W. (2015). Johor strategic development report. Johor State Government, Malaysia.

News Articles and Op-Eds

Noh, A. (2018, March 12). Churning political storms collide: What will prove decisive in Malaysia’s election? South China Morning Post.

Noh, A. (2016, December 29). What price Malaysia’s trust deficit? The Straits Times.

Noh, A. (2015, November 9). Political change in Malaysia: Will there be a new normal? The Straits Times.

Noh, A. (2014, August 12). Malaysia’s opposition alliance under threat. The Straits Times.

Noh, A. (2013, May 3). Different highways to the Malaysian dream. TODAY.

Conference Papers

Noh, A. (2019, June). So much with representative bureaucracy, what about under-representative bureaucracy? [Conference session]. The 2019 IIAS-LIEN Conference: Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Governance, Singapore.

Noh, A. (2019, November). Festival of Ideas 2019: Governance for the Future: Asia’s Perspective. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore

Noh, A. (2018, September). Close, but no cigar: Malaysia’s effort at driving co-creation in public policy [Conference paper]. The 2018 EGPA Annual Conference, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Noh, A. (2018, March). Administrative reform in Malaysia: Experimenting with deliverology [Conference paper]. AAPA Conference 2018, Jogjakarta, Indonesia.

Conferences

The 2019 IIAS-LIEN Conference — Effective, Accountable and Inclusive Governance. Singapore (June 2019).

Festival of Ideas 2019 — Governance for the Future: Asia’s Perspective. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore (November 2019).

The 2018 EGPA Annual Conference — Swiss Public Administration – Making the State Work Successfully. Lausanne, Switzerland (September 2018).

The 2018 AAPA Conference — Reinventing Public Administration in a Globalized World: A Non-Western Perspective. Jogjakarta, Indonesia (March 2018).

Professional Experience and Appointments

1. Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, International Islamic University Malaysia
2. Associate Professor and Deputy Dean, Tun Abdul Razak School of Government, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak
3. Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya
4. Imam Termizi Fellow, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OXCIS), University of Oxford
5. Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore
6. Visiting Research Fellow, Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy, Murdoch University
7. Guest Editor, Special issue of the Journal of Administrative Culture (Scopus indexed)
8. Editorial Board Member, Journal of Institutions and Economies (Scopus Indexed)
9. Consultant for State Government, Johor, Malaysia (2015)
10. Consultant for World Bank (Technical and Vocational Educational Training in Malaysia) (2011)
11. Chairman, Conference on Malaysia’s General Election 2013, Organised by Tun Abdul Razak School of Government, June 8-9 2015
12. Panel speaker for Malaysia’s General Election 2018, organized by International Islamic University Malaysia
13. Co-Chair, Working Group Panel on Islam and Public Administration ( 22nd Network of Institute and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe)