Corrected at 3:25pm, 27 Oct 2009 I MUST say that Budget 2010, announced by Datuk Seri Najib Razak on 23 Oct 2009, contained quite a few surprises for better or for worse. And my observation is from someone who has pored through the government’s budget over the past five years. (Source: babble.com) For one, I’ll […]
recession
Uniting the Malays
Translation by Zedeck SiewBETWEEN 9 and 15 March 2009 — excellent Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results notwithstanding — the defence of the Malay race, disunity among Muslims, and economic troubles worried the opinion pages and editorials of the Malay-language press. Closing ranks Closing ranks, especially along racial lines, was a big theme in the past week. The editorial […]
“No long-term impact from larger deficit”
By BFM 89.9CIMB Investment Bank regional rates and foreign exchange strategist Suresh Kumar Ramanathan says in an interview with BFM 89.9 that the 7.6% fiscal deficit arising from the RM60 billion stimulus package announced today will have no long-term significant impact. “From a macro perspective, it looks large, but in times such as these, every country is […]
“Surprising” stimulus package
By BFM 89.9OSK Securities research head Chris Eng tells BFM 89.9 in an interview that the RM60 billion stimulus package announced was larger than expected, and had several surprising measures. Eng says the property and construction sectors will be the main beneficiary of the stimulus package, while the auto and plantation sectors will be smaller beneficiaries. The […]
Package “impressive and impactful”
By BFM 89.9MAYBANK Investment Bank head of equity research Vincent Khoo describes the RM60 billion stimulus package announced today as “impressive”, saying that the measures announced under the package would have an impact on several areas. In an interview with BFM 89.9, Khoo says banks would benefit indirectly because the expected increase in non-performing loans would be […]
Najib unveils second stimulus package (Updated 5.55pm)
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 March 2009: The government has unveiled a second stimulus package worth RM60 billion to spur economic activity and help prevent a recession, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today. Following are highlights of the package tabled by Najib, who is also Finance Minister, in the Dewan Rakyat. House buyers given […]
Unemployment among women to rise
BANGKOK, 6 March 2009: The global economic crisis is expected to increase the number of unemployed women by up to 22 million this year, the International Labour Office (ILO) said in its latest report. The ILO, in its annual Global Employment Trends (GET) for Women report released today, said the global economic crisis would make […]
Current interest rates support growth
KUALA LUMPUR, 5 March 2009: The reduction in the overnight policy rate (OPR) by 2% from 3.5% previously is supportive of growth, Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said today. “We have already reduced the OPR. We believe this is supportive of growth,” she said when asked if there was still room […]
Don’t be fooled by GDP numbers
By M ShanmugamNUMBERS, they say don’t lie. But at the same time, they do not paint the true picture as far as economic growth is concerned. Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) barely stayed above water – registering a growth of 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2008. Although technically we are not seeing a negative growth for […]
Criticising defections
Translation by Leong Lai MingFOR the week between 2 and 8 Feb 2008, the political crisis in Perak overshadowed other issues in the Chinese media despite the community’s preoccupation with the Chinese New Year celebrations. The week also saw the passing of Chinese Malaysian educationist Datuk Sim Mow Yu, and the looming anxiety of mass retrenchments as a result […]
