MONTHLY NEWS SCAN
Tinjauan Berita Bulanan
Compiled by IDS
Vol. 17 Issue 2
HIGHLIGHTS
FOKUS
• Asian production gains signal
global strength
• US consumer prices up 0.2% in
January
• Zeti: GDP set to grow 5% driven
by domestic demand
• Palm oil exports to rise
• Sabah gets RM120m for 1Azam
programme
• Sabah to have 35-acre Free
Trade Zone soon
INTERNATIONAL
ANTARABANGSA
Asian production gains signal
global strength: Japan and South
Korea reported larger-than-forecast
industrial production in January amid
a strengthening U.S. recovery and
signs that Europe’s sovereign- debt
crisis may be contained. Japanese
output rose 2 percent from the
previous month, the Trade Ministry
said in Tokyo today. That exceeded
the median estimate of 1.5 percent in
a Bloomberg News survey of
analysts. Korean production climbed
3.3 percent, a government report
showed, versus a forecast 0.5 percent
decline. (29 February, Bloomberg)
US consumer prices up 0.2% in
January: US consumer prices rose
by 0.2% in January, driven by the
rising cost of clothes and petrol, the
US Labor Department has said. The
figures also showed that the annual
rate of inflation was 2.9% last month,
down from December’s rate of 3%.
However, core inflation − which
strips out food and energy costs −
rose to an annual rate of 2.3%. The
Federal Reserve has said it is not
intending to raise interest rates until
2014 because inflation has stayed
low. (17 February, BBC News)
Japan trade deficit widens as
exports slump: Japan posted a
record trade deficit in January as the
yen’s strength and weaker global
demand
eroded
manufacturers’
profits and slowed the nation’s
recovery from last year’s earthquake
and tsunami. The gap widened to
1.48 trillion yen ($19 billion) and
1 – 29 February 2012
1 – 29 February 2012
IDS Online http://www.ids.org.my
shipments dropped 9.3 percent from a
year earlier as energy imports surged,
a Ministry of Finance reported in
Tokyo
today.
(20
February,
Bloomberg)
China to keep investing in euro
zone debt: China C.bank: China
will continue to invest in euro zone
government debt, the country's
central bank governor said on
Wednesday, while calling on
Europeans to produce more attractive
investment products for China. Zhou
Xiaochuan admitted that China and
other emerging nations like Brazil,
Russia or India were waiting for the
right time to help the bloc, after a
European Union state visit was once
again met with encouraging words
but no concrete public commitments
on fresh funding from China. But he
also suggested Europe needed to
work harder to entice Beijing to part
with its capital. (14 February, New
York Times)
OECD says Germany facing weak
growth: Germany’s export-oriented
economy faces a period of weak
growth with “significant downside
risks to activity”, as the global
economy slows and uncertainty over
the euro zone debt crisis lingers, the
OECD said in a report on Tuesday.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and
Development
maintained the forecast it gave in
November for economic growth to
slow in 2012 to 0.6 percent after a
rapid recovery from the 2008/09
financial crisis. (14 February, New
York Times)
Confidence in Europe rises more
than forecast on stability signs:
Economy: Economic confidence in
the euro area improved more than
forecast in February, adding to signs
the economy is stabilizing after a
fourth-quarter contraction. An index
of executive and consumer sentiment
in the 17-nation euro area rose for a
second month, increasing to 94.4
from 93.4 in January, the European
Commission in Brussels said today.
Economists had forecast a gain to 94,
the median of 31 estimates in a
Bloomberg News survey showed. (28
February, Bloomberg)
French industrial output rises
more than expected: French
industrial output rose by a greaterthan-expected 1.1% in November,
lifted by production of electronic
equipment and refinery output.
Manufacturing output increased by
1.3%, said national statistics office
Insee. Year-on-year, manufacturing
production was up 2.2% as output
from refineries surged from weak
levels a year ago during strikes.
Separately, the Bank of France said
the economy had failed to grow in the
fourth quarter of 2011. (10 February,
BBC News)
Eurozone service sector grows
after
four-month
lull:
The
eurozone’s service sector has grown
for the first time in four months,
although Spain and Italy have
continued to post falls in business
activity. The Markit eurozone
services purchasing managers’ index
(PMI) was 50.4 in January, up from
48.8 in December. Any score under
50 represents a contraction. It follows
a manufacturing survey of 48.8, up
from 46.9 in December. Markit said
the survey suggested a recession
could be kept at bay. Chris
Williamson, chief economist at
Markit said: “The final eurozone PMI
data
indicates
that
business
conditions
stabilised
following
declines seen in the final four months
of last year and that the region may
avoid a slide back into recession.” (3
February, BBC News)
Singapore economy contracts at
2.5% pace, less than initially
estimated: Singapore’s economy
shrank less than initially estimated
last quarter as a surge in
pharmaceutical production supported
manufacturing at the year end. Asian
nations from China to India have
seen
an
improvement
in
manufacturing this year, while
Malaysia reported growth that slowed
less than economists estimated last
quarter, suggesting the region is
withstanding the impact of the
European debt crisis. The gains may
wane as Europe faces its second
recession in less than three years,
maintaining pressure on Singapore’s
central bank to support expansion
after it eased its policy stance last
quarter. (16 February, Bloomberg)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
1
NATIONAL
NASIONAL
Zeti: GDP set to grow 5% driven
by domestic demand: Despite the
gloomy projections, Bank Negara is
confident that the economy will notch
a decent 5% growth this year. “We
can say with a high degree of
confidence that domestic demand is
on a solid and steady growth,” said
governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz
in an interview over BFM radio
yesterday,
pointing
out
that
consumption demand and private
investment activity were growing in
excess of 6%. In fact, domestic
demand has been the main driver of
growth for the past two to three
years. No doubt, the country’s
exports will be affected by the
slowing demand in the United States,
Europe and other parts of the world.
(28 February, The Star)
Palm oil exports to rise: Palm oil
exports from Malaysia, the world’s
second largest producer, may climb
as much as 10% this year, expanding
faster than local output and helping to
drive down stockpiles and support
prices, an industry group forecast.
Exports may climb to a record 19.8
million tonnes from last year’s 18
million tonnes as demand in India
and China gained, Malaysian Palm
Oil Council chairman Lee Yeow
Chor, said in an interview. The price
may advance 3.9% to RM3,300 per
tonne in 2012, according to Lee. (17
February, The Star)
Malaysia’s economy probably
cooled: Malaysia’s economic growth
probably cooled as the European debt
crisis hurt exports, dragging full-year
expansion to the slowest and putting
pressure on the central bank to keep
interest rates low. Gross domestic
product (GDP) rose 4.8% in the three
months through December from a
year earlier, compared with 5.8% in
the previous quarter, according to the
median of 20 estimates in a
Bloomberg
survey.
Malaysia’s
economy probably grew 5% in 2011,
down from 7.2% the previous year, a
survey of 18 economists showed. The
slowest growth since an economic
contraction in 2009 may prompt
Malaysia to keep borrowing costs
low, as South-East Asian policy
makers from Thailand to the
Philippines lower rates to buffer their
economies against weakening global
demand. (15 February, The Star)
1 – 29 February 2012
Malaysian exports to pick up in the
second half: Malaysian exports are
likely to see a lift in growth in the
second half of the year, said the
national trade promotion agency
Malaysia
External
Trade
Development
Corp
(Matrade).
Improvements can be expected from
May onwards as the first quarter is
seasonally a quieter period. Despite
the global economic situation last
year, Malaysia’s merchandise trade
grew and Malaysia chalked a stellar
RM1.23 trillion total trade − highest
ever recorded. Like 2011, Matrade
chief executive officer Dr Wong Sai
Lum expects Asia to provide the bulk
of the trade volume, although she is
encouraged
by the economic
recovery
in
the
US.
With
developments in the global scenario,
Matrade has projected merchandise
exports to grow by between five and
six per cent and services to expand by
4.9 percent. (27 February, Business
Times)
January CPI up 2.7%, change in
interest rate seen unlikely: Judging
from how consumer prices moved
early this year, the chances of interest
rates being lowered seem remote.
January’s inflation as measured by
the consumer price index rose 2.7%
compared with a year ago due to
increases in the prices of food and
non-alcoholic beverages with the rate
of inflation as low as a year ago. The
year-on-year increase was in line
with the median estimates in a
Bloomberg survey of economists and
showed a further moderation in
overall inflation after a 3% rise in
December. (23 February, The Star)
MITI formulates new approach to
face uncertain global economy: The
Ministry of International Trade and
Industry (MITI)is formulating a new
approach in the trade and industry
sector to avoid Malaysia being
impacted adversely by the uncertain
global economic conditions at
present. Its Minister, Datuk Seri
Mustapa Mohamed said for this year,
Malaysia needs to have a new
initiative to ensure the economy can
expand at a rate of between five-six
percent. He said his ministry has had
a number of meetings, among which
was to encourage more investments
in the country, particularly, small and
medium enterprises (SMEs). (10
February, The Star)
despite exports dipping 0.25 per cent
to US$23.694 billion between
January and November last year.
Despite the slight drop in exports
during the 11-month period, Malaysia
remained the 18th largest import
source for the United States,
according to latest statistics released
by the United States administration.
The Malaysian External Trade
Development
Corporation
(MATRADE) Commissioner in New
York, Mohd Mustafa Abd Aziz, told
Bernama that US-Malaysia two-way
trade in 2011 was expected to
stabilise with no drastic change. (10
February, The Star)
December IPI up 3%, boosted by
higher
manufacturing
and
electricity output: The Industrial
Production Index (IPI) in December
2011 increased 3% year-on-year due
to the increase of manufacturing and
electricity indices of 4.5% and 3.1%
respectively. However, the index of
mining posted a marginal decrease of
0.8%,” the Department of Statistics
said on its website today. Meanwhile,
the IPI in November 2011 was
revised to 2.4% year-on-year. “The
IPI increased 3.5% month-on-month
in December 2011. The index for the
year of 2011 increased 1.4% as
against the year of 2010,” it said. On
year-on-year basis, the manufacturing
output in December 2011 ascended
by 4.5%. Output for November 2011
expanded by 5% (revised) from the
same month of 2010. (9 February,
The Star)
Pujian IMF buktikan pengurusan
kewangan
Malaysia
mantap:
Gambaran positif yang diberikan
Tabung Kewangan Antarabangsa
(IMF) bahawa sistem kewangan
Malaysia adalah mantap dan berdaya
tahan serta berada pada kedudukan
yang baik untuk menghadapi
persekitaran luar yang mencabar,
mengesahkan bahawa pengurusan
kewangan negara dijalankan dengan
baik. Pujian harus diberi kepada
Bank
Negara
Malaysia
dan
pentadbiran Perdana Menteri Datuk
Seri Najib Tun Razak yang arif
mengenai pengurusan kewangan
berkenaan, hasil daripada kawalan
ketat yang dikenakan terhadap bankbank dalam menjalankan operasi
mereka dan mengekalkan daya tahan
ekonomi negara. (18 Februari,
Utusan Malaysia)
M’sia Asean’s leading exporter to
US: Malaysia remained Asean’s
leading exporter to the United States
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
2
LOCAL
TEMPATAN
Sabah gets RM120m for 1Azam
programme: A sum of RM120
million had been allocated under the
Program Akhiri Zaman Miskin
(1Azam) to eradicate poverty in
Sabah. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk
Yahya Hussin said the allocation
from the federal government was for
two phases of the programme, with
the first phase implemented in 2010
involving RM40 million and the
second in 2011 involving RM80
million. He said 12,500 households
earning less than RM950 monthly
(poor) and less than RM550
(hardcore poor) were targeted under
the programme. (8 February, New
Sabah Times)
Sabah to have 35-acre Free Trade
Zone soon: A 35-acre Free Trade
Zone along the lines of that at
Stulang, in Johor Baru − currently the
largest
duty-free
complex
in
Malaysia which includes hotels,
restaurants, entertainment outlets and
a shopping complex − has been
planned for Tanjung Batu in Tawau.
State Customs Director Dr Janatan
Kandok said the move is at the
planning stage and had been agreed
to, in principle, by the relevant
authorities to attract tourists and
enhance economic activities in the
locality. A Free Trade Zone is a
facility to stimulate business and
economic activities in a certain area
that has been approved for the
people, including tourists, to enjoy
products and services free from taxes.
(16 February, Daily Express)
Rural Ministry allocates RM41mil
for infrastructure projects in
Kunak: The Rural and Regional
Development Ministry has allocated
RM41mil for basic infrastructure
projects including water, electricity
and roads in Kunak district. Minister
Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said
most of the projects were under
construction,
some
had
been
completed and nearing completion
while others were still at planning
stage. “These projects have been
implemented since last year and
construction will continue,” he told
reporters
after
attending
the
Pemimpin
Bersama
Rakyat
programme and visiting project sites
here in Kunak yesterday. (7 February,
New Sabah Times)
POIC Lahad Datu’s success
indicates state and fed govt on
1 – 29 February 2012
right track: The Palm Oil Industrial
Cluster (POIC) in Lahad Datu, which
opened six years ago, has attracted
RM3 billion in investments so far
from both foreign and local investors.
For Sabah’s Industrial Development
Minister, Datuk Raymond Tan Shu
Kiah, the investments are an
indication that the state government,
assisted by the federal government,
have set upon the right track with
their efforts to develop the area. A
total of 30 foreign investors including
from Europe, Singapore, South Korea
and Japan as well as investors from
Kuala Lumpur have made their
investments there. The investors from
Kuala Lumpur include those involved
in biodiesel and fertilizers based
operations. (16 February, The Star)
SESB: 174 villages in Sabah will be
provided with power supply:
Another 174 villages in Sabah will be
provided with power supply this year
under the Rural and Regional
Development
Ministry’s
rural
electrification programme. From
2009 until 2011, nearly 900 identified
villages in Sabah had been provided
with 24-hour power supply under the
Ministry’s
rural
electrification
programme. Almost RM1.6 billion
had been allocated by the Ministry to
implement the programme in Sabah
during the period, said Ahmad Sazree
Abd
Aziz,
general
manager
(distribution) of Sabah Electricity
Board (SESB) in a statement
yesterday. He said Kampung Long
Mio in Sipitang had been identified
as one of the villages which would be
provided with power supply. (2
February, New Sabah Times)
Projek bina, lebar jalan raya di
Tawau
akan
dilaksanakan:
Beberapa projek pelebaran jalan raya
dan pembinaan jalan baru akan
dilaksanakan di daerah ini bagi
mengatasi masalah kesesakan pada
waktu puncak, sekaligus untuk
mempertingkatkan tahap ekonomi
daerah.
Menteri
Pembangunan
Infrastruktur Negeri Tan Sri Joseph
Pairin Kitingan berkata, antara projek
yang kini giat dirancang ialah
pembinaan Jalan Pintas Tawau dari
kawasan Pasir Putih ke Jalan Apas
bernilai RM260 juta. Perancangan
projek
pembinaan
jalan
raya
sepanjang 20 kilometer itu ujarnya
kini berada di peringkat akhir dan
kemudahan itu akan menjadi
penghubung
alternatif
untuk
pengguna jalan raya di daerah ini. (1
Februari, New Sabah Times)
Program Tukar bolehkan koperasi
jana pulangan RM4.3 juta:
Pelaksanaan
skim
Projek
Transformasi Kedai Runcit (Tukar)
di Sabah membolehkan 30 koperasi
di negeri ini menjana pulangan jualan
sebanyak RM4.3 juta pada tahun lalu.
Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Datuk
Yahya
Hussin
berkata,
ini
membuktikan pelaksanaan program
itu berjaya membantu koperasi
meningkatkan pusingan perniagaan
serta gerakan koperasi. “Jadi saya
berharap lebih banyak lagi koperasi
akan terlibat dalam program ini pada
masa akan datang kerana terbukti
mampu memberikan keuntungan.
“Malah, pada tahun ini sebanyak 20
kedai koperasi akan terlibat dengan
program ini,” katanya pada majlis
perasmian Karnival Jualan dan Ekspo
Koperasi di Kota Kinabalu hari ini.
(27 Februari, Utusan Malaysia)
Projek Ammonia Urea Sabah bawa
rahmat:
Apa
yang
boleh
disimpulkan oleh Ahli Parlimen
Sipitang, Datuk Sapawi Ahmad
mengenai Projek Ammonia Urea
Sabah (Samur) adalah sebagai
pembawa
rahmat
besar
buat
pembangunan di daerah Sipitang.
Bagi pemimpin No. 1 di daerah
tersebut, Samur diibaratkan sebagai
limpahan rezeki khususnya buat
penduduk Sipitang dan daerah
berdekatan seperti Tenom dan
Beaufort. Katanya, ia bukan sahaja
bakal meletakkan Sipitang di persada
dunia sebagai pengeluar baja urea
kedua terbesar di Asia Tenggara,
projek yang dijangka beroperasi pada
2015 itu juga bakal memberi manfaat
besar kepada pembangunan Sabah.
(24 Februari, Utusan Malaysia)
RM5.2 juta jayakan fasa kedua
Azam Tani: Sebanyak RM5.2 juta
diperuntukkan kepada Kementerian
Pertanian dan Industri Makanan
tahun ini bagi melaksanakan fasa
kedua program Akhiri Zaman Miskin
(1Azam). Timbalan Ketua Menteri,
Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin berkata,
seramai 460 ketua isi rumah
disasarkan
mendapat
manfaat
daripada pelaksanaan program itu.
“Ia melibatkan tujuh program iaitu
pemprosesan makanan, pengeluaran
tanaman singkat masa, kursus
operator pembajak sawah, program
traktor dua roda, program mesin
penuai padi, program kisaran padi
dan perkhidmatan menabur benih
serta baja,” katanya. Beliau yang juga
Menteri Pertanian dan Industri
Makanan negeri berkata demikian
pada majlis penutupan kursus
motivasi dan asas pengurusan
perniagaan Program 1Azam (Azam
Tani) di Kota Kinabalu hari ini. (25
Februari, Utusan Malaysia)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
3
SELECTED FACTS AND FIGURES
FAKTA MUTAKHIR
MALAYSIA: SELECTED ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL INDICATORS
2007
Growth (% change)
Real GDP
Total domestic demand
Consumption
Private consumption
Gross capital formation
Saving and investment (% GDP)
Gross domestic investment
Gross national saving
Fiscal sector (% GDP)
Federal government overall balance
Revenue
Expenditure and net lending
CPI inflation
2008
2009
Proj.
2011
2012
2010
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
6.5
9.4
9.7
10.5
8.4
-
3.75
3.75
3.75
3.75
3.75
3.75
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
-3.2
21.8
25.0
2.0
(Source: 13 February, Business Times)
TRANSFORMATION & LOGISTICS MARKET SIZE (RM Bil.)
e: estimate
(Source: 7 February, Business Times)
PRODUCTION PRICE INDEX, MALAYSIA (2005=100)
Index
Percentage change
Producer Price Index
Domestic Economy
Local Production
Import
Jan 2011
Dec 2011
Jan 2012
Dec 2011-Jan 2012
Jan 2011-Jan 2012
123.8
129.9
111.6
129.2
137.2
113.2
128.9
136.7
113.5
-0.2
-0.4
0.3
4.1
5.2
1.7
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
4
(Source: 29 February, Department of Statistic Malaysia)
1 – 29 February 2012
SEKTOR PERDAGANGAN EDARAN – NILAI JUALAN (RM Bil.)
(Source: 13 February, Department of Statistics Malaysia)
PRESTASI SEKTOR PERDAGANGAN EDARAN SUKU KEEMPAT 2011
Nilai jualan
Sektor
Guna tenaga
% perubahan
% perubahan
YoY
QoQ
0.6
0.1
Perdagangan edaran
YoY
15.7
QoQ
1.5
Perdagangan borong
19.8
2.6
-0.2
0.3
Perdagangan runcit
13.0
1.5
1.6
-0.2
Kenderaan bermotor
8.2
-2.6
-1.9
0.7
(Source: 13 February, Department of Statistic Malaysia)
PERFORMANCE OF ASIAN MARKETS ON FEBRUARY 14 (%)
(Source: 15 February, The Star)
1 – 29 February 2012
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
5