MONTHLY NEWS SCAN
Tinjauan Berita Bulanan
Compiled by IDS
Vol. 14 Issue 7
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(For internal circulation only)
IDS Online http://www.ids.org.my
HIGHLIGHTS
FOKUS
US job losses worse than
expected
Oil falls below $66 after bleak
U.S. jobs data
RM3 bilion dana rangsangan
ekonomi diagih
Malaysia received RM4.2 Billion
in FDI from Jan-May this year
Sabah to launch its largest
Agropolitan Project
RM3.5mil allocated to tap Sabah
underground water
INTERNATIONAL
ANTARABANGSA
US job losses worse than expected:
The number of jobs lost in the US
last month came in at 467,000, which
was much more than had been
expected. The jobless rate rose to
9.5% in June, from 9.4% in May, as
the US economy continued to
struggle. (2 July, BBC News)
Oil falls below $66 after bleak U.S.
jobs data: Oil dropped a dollar to
below $66 a barrel on Friday after
unemployment data hardened views
economic weakness would sap
energy demand and that last month’s
rally was overdone. In the latest sign
the economy of the world’s top
consumer was still struggling, data on
Thursday showed U.S. employers cut
467,000 jobs in June and the jobless
rate rose to a 26-year high. Euro zone
unemployment climbed to a 10-year
high. (3 July, Reuters)
World Bank tells G8: 2009 remains
dangerous year: The Group of Eight
nations should not presume a global
economic recovery is near, World
Bank President Robert Zoellick said
in a letter to G8 host Italian Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi obtained
by Reuters on Monday. (6 July,
Reuters)
1 – 31 July 2009
IMF more upbeat on 2010
recovery: Worldwide economic
growth is expected to recover to 2.5%
in 2010, says the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). That is higher
than the IMF’s earlier estimate of
1.9% growth next year, made in
April, with the increase expected to
be led by India and China. (8 July,
BBC News)
G-8 says economic recovery too
weak to withdraw stimulus effort:
Group of Eight leaders said the
economic recovery from the steepest
recession since World War II was too
fragile for them to consider reversing
efforts to pump money into the
economy. President Barack Obama
pressed for the door to remain open
to more stimulus measures as a
renewed stock-market drop stirred
concern that $2 trillion spent
worldwide so far hasn’t jolted
consumers and businesses back to
life. (9 July, Bloomberg)
Singapore raises economic forecast
as recession ends: Singapore’s
government raised its economic
forecast for 2009 as the nation
emerged from the deepest recession
since its 1965 independence after
construction
gained
and
pharmaceutical output rebounded.
(14 July, Bloomberg)
Japanese exports fall at slower
pace as slump eases: Japan’s exports
fell in June at the slowest pace this
year as demand picked up worldwide,
helping the trade surplus widen for
the first time in 20 months and setting
the stage for an economic recovery.
Shipments abroad declined 35.7
percent from a year earlier, after
dropping 40.9 percent in May, the
Finance Ministry said today in
Tokyo. The surplus widened to 508
billion yen ($5.4 billion). (23 July,
Bloomberg)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
1 – 31 July 2009
US-China ties 'to shape century':
The relationship between the US and
China will shape the 21st Century,
President Barack Obama has said, as
top officials met in Washington for
talks.
“Co-operation,
not
confrontation” was the way forward,
he said, with climate change, security
and the economy all areas where
common ground existed. (27 July,
BBC News)
Consumer prices fall in Germany:
German consumer prices fell for the
first time in 22 years in July, official
figures have shown. Prices fell 0.6%
in July from a year earlier - the first
fall since March 1987, when they
declined by 0.3%. The decline was
largely due to falls in energy prices,
which peaked in summer 2008, and
analysts said Germany was unlikely
to see a deflationary spiral. (29 July,
BBC News)
Eurozone jobless at 10-year high:
Eurozone unemployment hit 9.4% in
June — the highest in 10 years and
another sign of the economic
slowdown. The number of jobless
grew by 158,000 during the month,
taking the total number of
unemployed in the area using the
euro to 14.9 million. (31 July, BBC
News)
Brunei to launch Agro Technology
Park in 2011: The Brunei
government expects to launch its first
Agro Technology Park in 2011, said
Normah S.H. Jamil, acting director of
the Agriculture Department of the
Industry and Primary Resources
Ministry. She said the park would be
developed on a 263-hectare site close
to the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
(31 July, Bernama Online)
1
NATIONAL
NASIONAL
RM3 bilion dana rangsangan
ekonomi diagih: Kerajaan sudah
membayar sebanyak RM3 bilion
daripada projek bernilai RM9 yang
dilaksanakan di bawah pakej
rangsangan ekonomi pertama dan
kedua setakat 19 Jun lalu, kata
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib
Razak. (1 July, Berita Harian)
Malaysia received RM4.2 billion in
FDI from Jan-May this year: For
the first five months of this year,
Malaysia received foreign direct
investment (FDI) of RM4.2 billion,
said Minister of International Trade
and Industry, Datuk Mustapa
Mohamed today. He said this was
about 10 percent of the RM46.1
billion achieved for the whole of last
year. Last year, the FDI at RM46.1
billion was an all time high and a 38
percent increase, following the
approval of several large projects
involving foreign participation. (2
July, Bernama Online)
Amanah Saham 1Malaysia to Help
stimulate economy: The Amanah
Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1Malaysia)
will inject new funds to stimulate the
local stock market and other
investment
instruments,
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
said Friday. The scheme will also
raise the socio-economic status of the
people, Najib said at the launch of the
new unit trust fund managed by
Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) in
Kuala Lumpur. (31 July, Bernama
Online)
Govt
confident
of
positive
economic growth by 4Q: Project
implementation under the stimulus
packages is on track and the
Government is confident that by the
fourth quarter, the economy may see
some positive growth and some
recovery by early next year. The
impact of the first stimulus package
can already be seen. In the first
quarter of 2009, the construction
sector was the only sector that
registered a small positive growth
while the rest of the sectors
contracted,’’
Finance
Ministry
secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Wan
Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah told
StarBiz. (20 July, Star)
MIDA upbeat Aussie firms will
increase investments in Malaysia:
Australian business leaders have been
reminded Malaysia still provided
1 – 31 July 2009
attractive business opportunities
despite
the
global
economic
downturn. Speaking at a AustraliaMalaysia
business
networking
function over the weekend, Jaswant
Singh, the director of Malaysian
Industrial Development Authority in
Australia (MIDA Australia), said
Malaysia’s economic development
was impressive and would continue
to prosper. (6 July, Bernama Online)
Bank Negara kekalkan unjuran
pertumbuhan:
Bank
Negara
Malaysia
masih
mengekalkan
unjurannya bahawa ekonomi negara
akan mencatatkan prestasi lebih baik
dalam tempoh separuh kedua tahun
ini meskipun petunjuk terbaru
membayangkan ekonomi Amerika
Syarikat (AS) belum mampu pulih
seperti yang diramalkan sebelum ini.
(9 July, Berita Harian)
Malaysia's factory output improves
in
May:
Malaysia’s
factory
production improved in May with a
slower decline of 11.1 per cent but
economists warned that recovery still
remains uncertain. The year-on-year
industrial output drop was the
smallest since November last year,
slightly better than expected by a
Business Times poll of -11.24 per
cent. (10 July, Business Times)
Liberalisation likely to attract
more British investors: The United
Kingdom
welcomes
Malaysia’s
recent moves on liberalisation of the
services sector and opening up of the
economy,
British
High
Commissioner Boyd McCleary said
Monday. “Malaysia has been very
successful in securing inward
investment and I know that the UK
companies based here are doing well
and enjoy operating in this region. I
am sure these measures will attract
more investments into Malaysia,” he
said. (13 July, Bernama Online)
RM10 million to help Bumi
entrepreneurs boost exports: The
government has disbursed about
RM10 million under the export
development programmes since 2005
to
Bumiputeras
and
women
entrepreneurs to make their presence
felt overseas. Malaysia External
Trade Development Corp (Matrade)
chief executive officer, Datuk
Noharuddin Nordin, said interests in
the programmes had increased,
especially during difficult times now.
(15 July, Bernama Online)
Signs of recovery in manufacturing
sector: The manufacturing sector is
expected to improve next year as
there are signs of a revival in orders,
said Minister of International Trade
and
Industry Datuk
Mustapa
Mohamed. The electrical and
electronics (E&E) sector continues to
be Malaysia’s leading industry and
largest export revenue earner for the
economy. (24 July, Business Times)
Target: 30 percent rural folk in
business by 2020: The Rural and
Regional Development Ministry
hopes to involve 30 percent of the
rural population nationwide in some
form of entrepreneurial activity by
2020. Minister Datuk Seri Shafie
Apdal said on Monday this would be
done through its various programmes.
This would be a challenge now that
the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives
Development ministry, which was
tasked with developing entrepreneurs
and
industrialists
among
the
bumiputeras, had been abolished and
its functions given to his ministry, he
said. (20 July, Bernama Online)
MPOB approves RM41.974 million
for replantation by smallholders:
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board
(MPOB) has approved applications
for a total of RM41.974 million by
smallholders for replantation exercise
involving 6,995ha, MPOB directorgeneral Datuk Dr Mohd Basri Wahid
said. As at July 2, more than RM1
million had been disbursed involving
186ha, he told Bernama in an
interview recently. (7 July, Bernama
Online)
MITI to implement SME outreach
programme: The International Trade
and Industry Ministry will implement
an outreach programme to approach
small
and
medium-scale
entrepreneurs (SMEs) after the
launch of the Small and Medium
Industries
Development
Corp
(Smidec) rebranding into SME
Corporation Malaysia on Aug 17. (30
July, Business Times)
Inflation expected to ease later this
year: If world crude oil prices and
national electricity tariffs remain at
current levels, inflation in the country
will continue to ease by the end of
this
year.
Domestic
Trade,
Cooperative
and
Consumerism
Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
Yaakob told reporters yesterday that
the Consumer Price Index rose 2.5
per cent in the first six months of the
year, compared with the same period
last year. (23 July, New Straits
Times)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
2
LOCAL
TEMPATAN
Sabah to launch its largest
Agropolitan Project: A total of 550
families in Kota Belud district will
benefit from a RM70 million
agropolitan project to start this
August, said the state Assistant
Minister of Agriculture and Food
Industry Datuk Musbah Jamli. He
said the project is based on 820-acre
dairy farm in Pintasan, the raising of
cattle on 450 acres of farmland for
meat at Kampong Rosok and the
planting of rubber on 2,000 acres at
the same village. (2 July, Bernama
Online)
RM3.5mil allocated to tap Sabah
underground
water:
Some
RM3.5million has been allocated for
Sabah for the implementation of tube
well installation projects under the
five-year Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP)
period. Deputy Resource and
Environment Minister, Tan Sri
Joseph Kurup, said similar projects
would be extended to other areas
under the upcoming 10MP period
after a study had been conducted. (17
July, Daily Express)
Sabah has huge potential for
development — Abdullah: Former
prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi said Sabah has huge potential
which could be developed to spur the
economy. He said Sabah’s rich
natural resources including its flora
and fauna has made the state
attractive for economic development
activities. (23 July, Bernama Online)
4,600 job vacancies offered: About
4,600 job vacancies were offered
during the State Labour Department’s
Job Placement Programme yesterday.
The offers were made by 30
employers from Sabah and the
Peninsula with those in the service
and hotel industries topping the list.
(19 July, New Sabah Times)
Action on improving
living
standards: The state government has
implemented various initiatives to
raise the people’s standards of living
in efforts to eradicate hardcore
poverty and to reduce the overall
poverty rate by 2010. Chief Minister
Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said the
efforts
being
made
by the
government to develop human
capital, especially under the Ninth
1 – 31 July 2009
Malaysia Plan, is the best method to
realise this endeavour. He added that
the Sabah Development Corridor
(SDC) – an integrated effort between
the state and federal governments to
bring about rapid social and
economic development in the state –
would also be a vital government
mechanism to create economic
opportunities to be enjoyed by the
people. (13 July, New Sabah Times)
Sistem
perladangan
kontrak
ditingkat: Kementerian Pertanian
dan Industri Makanan Sabah akan
meningkatkan pelaksanaan sistem
perladangan
kontrak
bagi
menampung permintaan produk
pertanian yang semakin meningkat
sejak akhir-akhir ini. Menterinya,
Datuk Yahya Hussin berkata, sistem
perladangan kontrak membolehkan
tumpuan khusus diberikan untuk
memastikan
ladang
berkenaan
menghasilkan produk pada jumlah
dan kualiti yang diharapkan. (9 Julai,
Utusan Malaysia)
Program SDSI beri banyak
manfaat: Penganjuran pameran Satu
Daerah Satu Industri (SDSI) berjaya
membantu
usahawan
tempatan
mengembangkan jaringan pasaran
produk keluaran mereka. Ia juga
berjaya mendedahkan usahawan
terbabit kepada ilmu-ilmu baru dalam
dunia perniagaan yang penting bagi
membantu mereka mengembangkan
perusahaan masing-masing. (21 July,
Utusan Malaysia)
Sabah-Korea pact in fisheries
development:
Sabah Fisheries
Department and Republic of Korea’s
National Fisheries Research and
Development Institute (NFRDI)
yesterday signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) for the
development of the state’s marine
and fisheries sector. Sabah Fisheries
Department was represented by its
Director, Rayner Stuel Galid while
NFRDI by its president, Dr Lim
Kyang Soo. The signing ceremony
was witnessed by Sabah Deputy
Chief Minister cum Minister of
Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk
Seri Panglima Haji Yahya Hussin. (1
July, New Sabah Times)
Smooth implementation of Mesej
Projects
in
Sabah:
The
implementation of 15 projects under
the Sejahtera Mini Estate (Mesej)
project in Sabah, one of the state
government’s strategy to eradicate
hardcore poverty, is proceeding
smoothly, said Rural Development
Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin. He
said each of the oil palm or rubberplanting project would cost RM3
million to set up and would benefit
about 500 hardcore poor households.
(21 July, Bernama Online)
3,200ha in Penyu for padi: A 3,200hectare piece in Kuala Penyu here
has been proposed for padi
cultivation, in line with the state’s
target of self-sufficiency in rice
production. Beaufort Member of
Parliament Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin
said that in May he had asked a
consultant to study the suitability of
the land and it was found to be
suitable for growing padi and sago. (6
July, Daily Express)
K-Nelayan boats for Sebatik
fishermen: Sabah Fishermen and
Fishery Development Corporation
(Ko-Nelayan) contributed 12 engine
boats to 12 poor fishermen in Pulau
Sebatik under the Poor Fishermen
Eradication Programme. Sebatik
Council member Abdul Muis Picho
said the contribution showed the
Government’s care for interior
fishermen. (24 July, Daily Express)
Gomantong Park to boost tourism:
The
Tourism,
Culture
and
Environment Ministry is considering
a proposal to turn Gomantong Cave
into a tourism site as well as develop
a proposed Gomantong Park to
provide facilities for the visitors.
Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, who
viewed the proposal as good for longterm tourism development, said the
bird’s nest collection activity in the
area could itself become a tourism
product. (19 July, Daily Express)
RM920
juta
untuk
tangani
masalah cerun di Sabah: Terdapat
lebih 600 cerun berhampiran dengan
jalan raya yang dikenal pasti
bermasalah di Sabah ketika ini, yang
memerlukan pembiayaan berjumlah
kira-kira
RM920
juta
untuk
menanganinya. Timbalan Pengarah
Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) Sabah,
Amrullah Kamal berkata jumlah ini
membabitkan 517 yang terletak
berhampiran jalan raya di bawah
pentadbiran kerajaan negeri dan 130
lagi berhampiran jalan raya di bawah
pentadbiran kerajaan pusat. (1 Julai,
New Sabah Times)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
3
SELECTED FACTS AND FIGURES
FAKTA MUTAKHIR
PROGRESS OF MALAYSIA’S STIMULUS PACKAGES AS OF JUNE 26
Allocation
No. of projects
launched
(RM billion)
Stimulus
Package 1
(RM7 billion)
Stimulus
Package 2
(RM15 billion)
Value of
projects
launched
(RM billion)
Projects
completed
Actual
expenditure
(RM billion)
6.8
46,358
5.2
17,176
2.3
14.5
22,773
5.7
1,146
1.6
(Source: 20 July, Star)
MALAYSIA’S PALM OIL EXPORTS (TONES) 2009
Country
Month
China
India
Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
154,267
203,080
307,129
125,214
313,111
78,364
260,235
119,019
319,097
99,434
336,946
57,139
(Source: 25 July, Star)
JAPAN’S TRADE SURPLUS
(Bil Yen)
1,400.00
1,245.90
1,200.00
1,140.60
1,000.00
858.3
799.7
800.00
600.00
508
400.00
200.00
104.1
0.00
June '04
June '05
June '06
June '07
June '08
June '09
(Source: 24 July, Business Times)
1 – 31 July 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
4
(Source: 31 July, Trading Economics)
PENGELUARAN KOMODITI GETAH MALAYSIA 2007-2009
Januari - Mei
Pengeluaran
Getah ('000 tan metrik)
2007
1,199.6
2008
2008
2009p
1,072.4
473.9
300.2
(Source: 17 July, Department of statistics Malaysia)
CONTAINER THROUGHPUT AT MALAYSIAN PORTS
(JANUARY-JUNE 2009 - TEU)
Port
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Klang
1,602,397
1,727,954
Penang
199,391
151,165
Johor
201,915
216,744
Kuantan
31,007
31,883
Bintulu
49,875
57,895
Kuching
33,578
38,006
Miri
3,869
6,370
Rajang
12,811
17,472
Sabah
55,563
67,967
Tanjung Pelepas
1,254,387
1,474,730
Total
3,444,863
3,790,186
(Source: 30 July, Business Times)
1 – 31 July 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
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1 – 31 July 2009
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
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