Maintaining Islamic Finance Leadership
As highlighted in the previous years’ budget, Malaysia has progressed significantly in the development of Islamic financial services, especially in terms of the size of investments and an increase in the number of institutions. Malaysia was the first to issue a global sukuk in 2002, as well as the first country [...]

Malaysia is a country blessed with abundant natural resources. In particular, we are thankful that the country is rich in oil and gas, which created Malaysia’s sole representative in the Fortune 500, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas).
In the most recent financial year ending March 2007, Petronas achieved record profits before tax of RM76.3 [...]

Globalisation brings both new threats and opportunities for the Malaysian economy. Should we rest on our laurels and continue to believe that we can be sheltered by the proverbial coconut shell, it will only result in irreparable damage to the economy. However, if we were to instil in our economy the spirit of [...]

The budget offers the rosy view that the Malaysian economy will continue to be resilient, with a projected growth of between six and 6.5 percent in 2008.
The economic prospects need to be placed in perspective. First and foremost, the external economic environment has sharply deteriorated and the international agencies and governments of the [...]

by Dr. Chen Man Hin
The Barisan Nasional government frequently makes pronouncements that the economy is sound, with GDP growth rates of 5% and above.
However the following statistics of per capita income do not give a flattering picture of Malaysia:
PER CAPITA INCOME OF SELECTED ASIAN COUNTRIES
[...]

CROSS LISTING OF MALAYSIAN CORPORATIONS IN FOREIGN STOCK EXCHANGES
by Dr. Chen Man Hin
Perlis Palm Oil Berhad, a subsidiary of Perlis Plantation Berhad is in the process of being merged with Wilmar Corporation a Singapore listed corporation. The move seems to have created anxiety in the business community.
There are fears that a large corporation being [...]

Review by Bakri Musa
Tun Ismail: No Ordinary Politician
The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr. Ismail and His Time
Ooi Kee Beng
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2006
338 pp RM55.00
Reading Ooi Kee Beng’s biography of the late Tun Ismail is akin to eating at a buffet in a cheap Chinese restaurant. The offering was generous and [...]

Winning back FDIs
by Dr. Chen Man Hin
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced a bouquet of incentives to induce foreign investors to put their money in Johore’s Iskandar Development Region (IDR). Undeniably the incentives are attractive.
While the development of IDR is important and should be encouraged, it is vital to realise that foreign investments [...]

On Tuesday, Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz, gave a 21-page reply to questions on the Malaysia-US FTA talks and developments.
Rafidah said that the sovereign right of the government to make and implement certain national policies for the interests of the rakyat and country is one of the fundamental issues that [...]