MONTHLY NEWS SCAN
Tinjauan Berita Bulanan
Compiled by IDS
Vol. 14 Issue 2
(For internal circulation only)
IDS Online http://www.ids.org.my
HIGHLIGHTS
FOKUS
Central Bank to cut interest rates. (13
February, BBC News)
• German
•
•
•
•
•
industrial
output
plunges
Europe
hit
by
economic
slowdown
BNM International reserves at
RM317.7 Bln
Malaysia Jan inflation slows to
3.9pc
RM100mil projects for the poor
Hardcore poor in Sabah down by
5,000
INTERNATIONAL
ANTARABANGSA
German industrial output plunges:
German industrial output has seen a
record fall after a sharp contraction in
manufacturing
activity.
Output
plunged by 4.6% in December from
the previous month, figures from the
Economy Ministry showed. It was the
steepest decline since May 1989 and
was much worse than the 2.5% fall
expected by analysts. Industrial
output was likely to remain weak for
the next few months, given the slump
in demand for manufactured goods,
the Economy Ministry said. Year-onyear output dropped by 12% in
Europe’s largest economy, which
confirmed it was in recession in
November. (6 February, BBC News)
Europe hit by economic slowdown:
European economies contracted in
the fourth quarter of last year, with
some countries registering the worst
figures in decades, official data
shows. The eurozone economy
shrank by 1.5% in the previous
quarter and 1.2% on the year,
Eurostat said. Germany’s economy
shrank by 2.1% compared with the
previous quarter, its worst quarterly
performance since 1990. France
shrank by 1.2%, initial data shows,
while Italy registered a drop of 1.8%,
the steepest drop since 1980. The
data puts pressure on the European
1 – 28 February 2009
G-7 says ‘severe’ downturn to
persist, vows to reverse slump:
Group of Seven finance chiefs vowed
to tackle a “severe” economic
downturn that will persist for most of
2009 without spelling out new steps
to do so. The G-7’s finance ministers
and central bankers said in a
statement released after talks in Rome
yesterday that they were working to
restore confidence in markets and
revive the world economy. They
predicted the full effect of individual
rescue packages will “build over
time.” “We reaffirm our commitment
to act together using the full range of
policy tools to support growth and
employment and strengthen the
financial sector,” the statement said.
(15 February, Bloomberg)
Japan economy shrinks 12.7%,
steepest drop since 1974: Japan’s
economy shrank at an annual 12.7
percent pace last quarter, the most
since the 1974 oil shock, as
recessions in the U.S. and Europe
triggered a record drop in exports.
Gross domestic product fell for a
third straight quarter in the three
months ended Dec. 31, the Cabinet
Office said today in Tokyo. The
median estimate of 26 economists
surveyed by Bloomberg News was
for an 11.6 percent contraction.
Exports plunged an unprecedented
13.9 percent from the third quarter as
demand for Corolla cars and Bravia
televisions collapsed. (16 February,
Bloomberg)
US
economy
suffers
sharp
nosedive: The US economy shrank at
an annual rate of 6.2% in the last
three months of 2008 official figures
show, a far sharper fall than
previously reported. Plunging exports
and the biggest fall in consumer
spending in 28 years dragged the
annualised figure down from an
1 – 28 February 2009
earlier estimate of 3.8%. The decline
was much worse than analysts had
expected,
sending
US
stocks
spiralling lower. In 2008 as a whole,
the economy grew by 1.1%, the
slowest pace since 2001. The bluechip Dow Jones industrial average
dropped 119.15 points, or 1.66%, to
7,062.93. (27 February, BBC news)
OPEC to cut oil output in March:
minister: Iraq’s oil minister on
Saturday predicted that OPEC will
cut production in March, and said
that the price of a barrel of crude
should not be less than US$70, a
senior official told AFP. “The year
2009 will be a tough year around the
world and that will be reflected on the
oil demand and then prices will
drop,” Hussein al-Shahristani told an
oil industry summit in Baghdad. “In
March, OPEC will convene and there
will be an intention for more
production cuts to shore up prices
and encourage production from nonOPEC members,” the minister said,
according to his close adviser Falah
al-Amiri.(9 February, China Post)
South Korea swings to 3.29 billion
dollar surplus: South Korea’s trade
balance swung to a surplus of 3.29
billion dollars in February from a
deficit of 3.35 billion dollars a month
earlier, customs data showed Sunday.
The turnaround for Asia’s fourth
largest economy resulted from a
slower decrease in exports and a still
sharp fall in imports, the data
showed. Exports fell 17.1 percent
year-on-year to 25.85 billion dollars
in February while imports plunged
30.9 percent to 22.56 billion dollars,
according to data on the Korea
Customs Service website. In January,
exports fell by a record 33.8 percent
year-on-year to 21.37 billion dollars
and imports dropped 31.9 percent to
24.72 billion. (28 February, AFP
News)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
1
NATIONAL
NASIONAL
BNM international reserves at
RM317.7
bln:
Bank
Negara
Malaysia’s (BNM) international
reserves rose to RM317.7 billion
(equivalent to US$91.6 billion) as at
Feb 13 from RM316.8 billion
(US$91.3 billion) on Jan 30. In a
statement in Kuala Lumpur today,
BNM said the reserves position was
sufficient to finance 7.6 months of
retained imports and was four times
the short-term external debt. The
reserves comprised foreign currency
reserves
(US$86
billion),
International Monetary Fund reserves
position (US$300 million), Special
Drawing Rights (SDR) (US$200
million), gold (US$400 million) and
other reserves (US$4.7 billion). The
central bank’s assets as at Feb 13
stood at RM347.936 billion. (20
February, Bernama online)
Malaysia Jan inflation slows to
3.9pc: Malaysia’s inflation slowed to
an eight-month low in January as
cheaper fuel pushed transport costs
down, giving the central bank room
to cut interest rates further to support
an economy analysts say may
contract this year. Consumer prices
rose 3.9 per cent from a year earlier,
after a 4.4 per cent gain in December,
the
Putrajaya-based
statistics
department said in a statement today.
That compares with the median
forecast for a 4.1 per cent increase in
a Bloomberg News survey of 10
economists. (20 February, Business
Times)
Pakej kedua lebih komprehensif:
Kerajaan memberi jaminan pakej
rangsangan ekonomi kedua yang akan
dibentangkan dalam bajet mini adalah
lebih komprehensif dan menyeluruh.
Menteri Kewangan Kedua, Tan Sri
Nor Mohamed Yakcop berkata, bajet
mini itu bakal menangani isu semasa
dengan memberi bantuan kepada
pihak yang memerlukannya dalam
keadaan
yang
mendesak
ini.
Bagaimanapun,
beliau
enggan
mengulas lanjut butir-butir terperinci
bajet mini sehingga ia dibentangkan
dalam tempoh antara dua hingga tiga
minggu lagi oleh Timbalan Perdana
Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak.
(20
Februari,
Utusan
Malaysia)
Pelaburan RM6b ke Tanjong Agas,
Pekan: Taman Industri Minyak, Gas
1 – 28 February 2009
dan Maritim Tanjong Agas di Pekan
Pahang telah berjaya menarik
pelaburan sebanyak RM6 bilion yang
mana
sebahagian
daripadanya
diperolehi daripada pelabur asing.
Pengarah Urusan Tanjong Agas
Supply Base & Marine Services Sdn.
Bhd. (TASBMS), Mohd Faidzal
Ahmad Mahidin berkata, pelaburan
itu diperoleh daripada tujuh buah
syarikat yang memiliki latar belakang
berbeza dalam industri minyak dan
gas serta mahu menjadikan taman
industri itu sebagai hab operasi dan
pengembangannya pada masa depan.
(17 Februari, Utusan Malaysia)
MDV: RM2b pinjaman diagih:
Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd.
(MDV), anak syarikat milik penuh
Menteri Kewangan Diperbadankan
telah
mengeluarkan
pinjaman
berjumlah RM2.2 bilion bagi tahun
kewangan berakhir Disember 2008
kepada 249 buah syarikat tempatan
sejak penubuhannya. MDV dalam
kenyataannya di sini berkata, bagi
tahun kewangan 2008/2009, sebanyak
78 permohonan pinjaman bernilai
RM658 juta telah diluluskan,
manakala 34 permohonan yang
bernilai lebih RM420 juta masih
dalam proses penilaian dan kelulusan.
(28 Februari, Utusan Malaysia)
Italian investors see Malaysia as
logistics hub: Italian investors see
Malaysia as a potential hub for the
logistics business in the Asean region,
said director-general of the Malaysian
Industrial Development Authority
(MIDA), Datuk Jalilah Baba. “They
are looking at integrated logistics
because their logistics businesses are
already in China,” she told Bernama.
“So they are looking at another
location to be the centre for Asean
region as China is just enough to
serve China market because it is so
huge,” Jalilah said. “From Malaysia,
they can probably serve India as
well,” she said. (1 February, Bernama
online)
National timber industry policy to
be introduced: The Government is
to introduce a comprehensive
National Timber Industry Policy
which will give priority to the growth
of downstream industries. Plantation
Industries and Commodities Minister
Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui said the
policy would envisage action plans
and the RM22 billion timber
industry’s future direction till 2020.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak will launch the
policy on Feb 17 at the Putrajaya
International Convention Centre. (10
February, Bernama online)
Commodities
export
earnings
increased 26.7 percent last year:
Malaysia recorded RM112.4 billion
in export earnings from commodities
last year, Plantation Industries and
Commodities Minister Datuk Peter
Chin Fah Kui said today. He said this
was an increase of 26.7 percent from
the previous year which recorded
RM88.7 billion. “This shows the
importance of the commodity sector
to the country and therefore, it must
remain
competitive,”
he
told
reporters after officiating the Cocoa
Smallholders,
Estate
and
Entrepreneur Conference today. (18
February, Bernama online)
Tourism traffic from U.S. to
Malaysia shows a surprise rise in
January 2009: Against the backdrop
of the economic downturn in the
United States resulting in the majority
of Americans tightening their belts
and doing away with luxury items,
including expensive overseas trips,
most industry pundits are surprised
that Malaysia has actually been able
to post a double-digit rise in tourist
traffic from the United States in
January 2009. Although the United
States is not among the top 10 touristgenerating markets, its tourist traffic
to Malaysia in January rose by 10.7
percent over the year-earlier month.
(20 February, Bernama online)
SRR salur RM9b kepada sistem
perbankan: Penurunan keperluan
rizab berkanun (SRR) sebanyak 150
mata asas kepada 2.0 peratus oleh
Bank Negara Malaysia, akan
menyalurkan semula kira-kira RM9
bilion ke dalam sistem kewangan, dan
membolehkan
bank-bank
menggunakannya
bagi
menjana
pendapatan.
Bagaimanapun,
penurunan kadar dasar semalaman
(OPR)
yang
menyaksikan
kebanyakan
institusi
kewangan
menurunkan kadar asas berian
pinjaman masing-masing, sebanyak
55 mata asas kepada 5.95 peratus,
pastinya
akan
menjejaskan
pendapatan dalam jangka pendek
dengan mengambil kira tempoh awal
pelarasan,
kata
ECM
Libra
Investment Research, dalam kajian
bagi bulan Januari. (5 Februari,
Utusan Malaysia)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
2
LOCAL
TEMPATAN
RM100mil projects for the poor:
Sabah will receive RM100 million
from the Rural and Regional
Development Ministry under the
Economy Stimulation Programme to
build 2,486 units of houses
throughout the State this year. CM
Datuk Seri Musa said of this, RM40
million would be for the construction
of houses at the water village of
Kampung Mengkabong, the cradle of
hardcore poverty in Tuaran district.
He said 1,000 units of houses similar
to those built under the Hardcore
Poor Housing Project (PPRT) scheme
would
be
built
under
the
Mengkabong relocation programme.
(11 February, Daily Express)
Hardcore poor in Sabah down by
5,000: Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman
said
the
poverty
eradication
programme in Sabah is moving in the
right direction as evidenced in the
decreasing number of hardcore poor
household heads (KIRMTs) last year
compared to 2007. The Chief
Minister said there were 21,514
KIRMTs and disabled people
(OKUs) in 2007. However, as at Feb.
10 this year, the number had reduced
to 16,403 that include OKUs and
those in the advanced age bracket.
“This
is
certainly
a
good
improvement,” he said after chairing
the People’s Welfare Development
Scheme Steering Committee at
Wisma Innoprise, Likas, Tuesday.
(11 February, Daily Express)
SESB allocates RM500 million to
improve electricity supply in
Sabah: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd
(SESB) has allocated RM500 million
this year for a project to improve the
electricity supply system in Sabah, its
managing director Ir Baharin Din said
today. He said the large allocation
was necessary as Sabah still faced the
problem of a shortage in the
electricity supply and efforts to
overcome it had to be done through
the implementation of this project.
“The allocation which is an SESB
investment, was obtained through
loans from the state and federal
governments. We are thankful for the
loans,” he said in his speech at a
SESB briefing with community
leaders at Gum-Gum, Sandakan. (19
February, Bernama online)
1 – 28 February 2009
RM80 mil to improve Keningau
roads: Rural Development Assistant
Minister Datuk Sairin Hj Karno said
that the Prime Minister has approved
RM80 million to overcome road
congestion in the town area. He said
the allocation, which will be spent on
building a ‘highway’ and upgrading
other congested access roads leading
to the town centre, was obtained
through a letter to the Prime Minister
that was signed by all elected
representatives from the interior. (23
February, New Sabah Times)
Sabah gets huge allocations for
Human
Capital
Development
Programmes: Sabah was among the
states that received huge allocations
for human capital development
programmes
under
the
Ninth
Malaysia Plan. Higher Education
Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khalid
Nordin said Universiti Malaysia
Sabah (UMS) received RM644
million and that another RM200
million had been allocated to build a
polytechnic in Sandakan this year. As
for Tawau, he said his ministry has
allocated RM36 million to build the
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITM)
campus in Balung next month or in
April. (22 February, New Sabah
Times)
Govt initiates job opportunities by
setting up Sabah Job Centre: The
state government has made efforts to
provide job opportunities such as the
setting up of the Sabah Job Centre.
Minister of Resource Development
and IT Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai said
job seekers are encouraged to register
with the Job Centre to enable the
government
to
monitor
unemployment as well as to help the
unemployed to secure jobs according
to their qualifications and skills. To
date, 7,253 job seekers and 340
employers have registered with the
Job Centre. (20 February, New Sabah
Times)
SLDB and nuclear M’sia in
Nabawan
agarwood
venture:
Nabawan is slated to house the
largest agarwood (gaharu) estate in
Sabah, following an agreement inked
by the Sabah Land Development
Board (SLDB) and Malaysian
Nuclear Agency (Nuclear Malaysia).
The document signed by SLDB
general manager Jhuvarri Majid and
Nuclear Malaysia Director-General
Datuk Dr Daud Mohamad calls for
the development of the agarwood
industry in Sabah and the setting up
of an essential oil (agarwood)
extraction plant in Nabawan, SLDB
said in a statement. (16 February,
Daily Express)
Cyber project launched in Kota
Marudu: A pilot project known as
InfoSTI@MOSTI by the Ministry of
Science, Technology and Innovation
where Hifi wireless service, computer
training and cyber-net browsings are
available for free, is set to change the
mind set of rural people. In launching
the project at Kota Marudu and at
Petra Jaya, Sarawak simultaneously
through teleconferencing Sunday
morning, its Minister Datuk Maximus
Johnity Ongkili said the project is to
support the national aspiration to
build an informed society by
encouraging the use of science,
technology and innovation (STI) to
improve the life of the people
especially in rural areas. (23
February, New Sabah Times)
Maranjak homestay set to offer
world’s
longest
house:
The
Maranjak longhouse homestay at
Matunggong near here is all set to
offer the world’s longest house by
June this year. Homestay owner,
Maranjak Malarat, told the New
Sabah Times on Tuesday that they
have begun extension work on the
existing longhouse which has a total
of 11 rooms. When completed, it will
have 75 rooms available for rent at
RM75 per room for foreigners and
RM55 per room for locals. Currently
the longhouse measures 120 feet but
after extension, the longhouse will be
818 feet long. (19 February, New
Sabah Times)
RM10m skills upgrade: Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman
said the Government has allocated
RM10 million this year to ensure
efficiency and high performance of
the civil service. Realising the
importance of good governance, the
Government decided to allocate the
sum to enhance skills under the
human
resource
development
programme at all ministries including
departments and its agencies.
Speaking at the State and Federal
civil services assembly at Menara
Tun Mustapha, Likas, Monday, he
said the public service was a very
important institution that ensures
success in the administration and
running of a government. (10
February, Daily Express)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
3
SELECTED FACTS AND FIGURES
FAKTA MUTAKHIR
MALAYSIA: MAJOR EXPORT PRODUCTS
December
2008i
(RM million)
Total exports
Electrical & electronic products
LNG
Palm oil
Chemical & chemical products
Crude petroleum
Machinery, appliances & parts
Refined petroleum products
Wood products
Manufactures of metal
Optical & scientific equipment
i
2007p
46,088.4
16,997.7
5,181.6
3,547.7
2,396.9
1,812.8
1,720.1
1,644.9
1,311.9
1,205.7
1,033.8
54,161.4
22,845.0
2,493.9
3,778.5
3,328.6
3,455.6
1,540.9
2,383.5
1,292.8
1,449.3
1,020.5
= interim data ; p = provisional data
(Source: 13 February, New Straits Times)
MALAYSIA: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OR PROBLEM IN THE COUNTRY TODAY?
Don't know
3%
None
4%
Others
3%
Need for Malay empowerment/unity
1%
Influx of illegal immigrants
1%
Education
1%
Ineffective/unconcerned government
1%
Poverty & uneven development
1%
Quality of politicians
2%
Lack of unity among Malaysians
2%
Unemployment
4%
Political instability
4%
Social problems
4%
Crime & public safety
6%
Worsening ethnic relations
6%
Corruption
9%
Racial inequality
9%
Inflation & rising cost of living
17%
22%
Unfavourable economic conditions
0%
5%
10%
15%
(Source: 3 February, New Straits Times)
MALAYSIA: CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
Consumer Price Index (2005=100) (% Change)
2008/2007
Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Sabah
Sarawak
5.4
5.4
6.0
6.0
20%
25%
Jan 2009/2008
3.9
3.7
5.6
4.0
(Source: 20 February, Department of Statistics Malaysia official website)
1 – 28 February 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
4
MALAYSIA: GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT/GROSS NATIONAL INCOME
Gross Domestic Product/
Gross National Income
2007
2008
3rd Quarter
2008
4th Quarter
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
Current Prices (RM million)
641,864
198,653
177,342
Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
Constant 2000 Prices (RM million)
505,353
136,211
131,261
6.3
4.7
0.1
628,106
192,845
n.a
23,115
27,674
n.a
GDP Growth Rate Constant 2000:
Prices (%)
Gross National Income (GNI):
Current Prices (RM million)
Per Capita GNI:
Current Prices (RM)
(Source: 27 February, Department of Statistics Malaysia official website)
174,453
61,051
136,947
122,009
49,538
48,595
55,707
123,429
147,191
130,979
71,802
142,058
129,996
121,196
61,190
52,824
60,000
50,993
80,000
55,517
100,000
51,524
120,000
75,791
140,000
Malaysian
66,666
112,218
160,000
116,027
International
180,000
142,727
SABAH: VISITORS ARRIVAL, 2008
40,000
20,000
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Note: 1. Direct Arrivals statistics is based on the IMM26 cards and indirect arrivals is based on the Head Count Method by the
Immigration Department.
2. Malaysian arrivals is based on movements within Malaysia.
(Source: Sabah Tourism Board website)
Sept
Oct
235,504
Aug
185,542
202,898
July
171,547
202,781
June
176,253
203,917
193,051
176,713
200,000
196,662
250,000
167,551
188,009
SABAH: TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS, 2008
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Nov
Dec
(Source: Sabah Tourism Board website)
1 – 28 February 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
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1 – 28 February 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
6