Economics professor Rajah Rasiah said during a webinar that after plotting the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of countries against their rate of infection and death, he observed no correlation between the two.

“Except for tests per million people, which showed a strong relationship between material development and tests conducted, the explanatory power of GDP per capita on infections and deaths per million is extremely weak.”

He said this showed that resources alone weren’t the determining factor in a country’s success in battling the pandemic, noting that Malaysia did well until the Sabah state election spurred mass movement that led to a sharp rise in cases.

Speaking about countries such as the US and Brazil with large economies but high case rates, he said: “I think what’s obvious is it reflects a reluctance to accept responsibility in addressing the real issues.” He noted that the US in particular took a long time to accept the seriousness of the virus.

“Measures to prevent its spread were taken much earlier by countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia.”

Rajah added that while the development of healthcare systems could influence a country’s material development, there wasn’t always a definite link between the two.

Titled “Balancing Sustainability in the Post-Pandemic Normal: Key Drivers,” the webinar looked at different aspects of development and how they intersect with one another.

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