MONTHLY NEWS SCAN
Tinjauan Berita Bulanan
Compiled by IDS
Vol. 18 Issue 1
1 – 31 January 2013
IDS Online http://www.ids.org.my
HIGHLIGHTS
FOKUS
• IMF: Global economic recovery
‘weakening’
• Japan posts record high trade
deficit in 2012
• Malaysia’s stake in global
economy
• Momentum pertumbuhan lebih
positif separuh kedua
• RM3.499 billion spent on
projects – CM
• Jana pelaburan RM3.21 bilion
INTERNATIONAL
ANTARABANGSA
IMF: Global economic recovery
‘weakening’:
The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned
again of a weakening global
economic
recovery
despite
government efforts to stimulate
growth. The global economy is likely
to grow at a slower rate than
previously forecast over the next two
years, the organisation said in its
latest report. It said it now expected
the eurozone to remain in recession
in 2013, having previously predicted
growth. The UK’s growth forecasts
have also been revised down. The
IMF said continued problems in the
eurozone were weighing on the
global economy. “The euro area
continues to pose a large downside
risk to the global outlook,” the IMF
report said. (23 January, BBC News)
Japan posts record high trade
deficit in 2012: Japan has posted a
record high trade deficit for 2012, as
exports to Europe and China
continued their plunge. The trade gap
rose to 6.9tn yen ($78bn; £49bn) for
the full year, the ministry of finance
said. It comes after election promises
by Japan’s new Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe to boost the economy,
and recent monetary stimulus by the
central bank. Analysts said the deficit
may have bottomed out, as exports
are expected to improve in coming
months. “As exports pick up due to
gradual recovery in the global
economy, Japan's trade deficit is
likely to shrink in the coming
months,” said Tatsushi Shikano, from
Mitusbishi UFJ Morgan in Tokyo.
(24 January, BBC News)
economic period in 13 years.
According to the latest government
figures, growth picked up to 7.9% in
the final three months of 2012, from
7.4% in the previous quarter. This
was driven by state investment in
infrastructure projects and efforts to
get consumers and companies to
spend. Economic stability is seen as
vital for China as its new leaders take
over. “It is obvious that the
slowdown in the Chinese economy
has halted for the moment,” said
Fraser Howie, an economist and coauthor of Red Capitalism. (18
January, BBC News)
Germany retail sales higher in
2012: Retail sales in Germany rose as
much as 2.1% last year as Europe's
largest economy took the eurozone
debt crisis in its stride, according to
the Federal Statistical Office. But
stripping out inflation, turnover at
retail stores fell between 0.1% and
0.3% from 2011, Destatis said.
November retail sales also gained
from a year earlier, it added.
Germany has mainly escaped the
worst effects of the crisis that has
threatened to unravel the bloc.
Figures this week also showed the
jobless rate was unchanged at 6.9%
last month – with the total jobless at
about 2.8 million. (4 January, BBC
News)
South Korea’s growth rate hits
three-year low: South Korea’s
growth rate has hit a three-year low,
hurt by a slowdown in exports and
corporate investment. The economy
grew by 2% in 2012, the central
bank’s initial estimates showed. That
is down from 3.6% in 2011. South
Korea’s exports, which account for
almost half of its overall output, have
been hurt by a slowdown in key
markets such as the US and eurozone.
Meanwhile, policymakers have found
it tough to boost domestic demand to
offset the decline in foreign sales.
The weak data is likely to put further
pressure on South Korea’s new
government and its central bank, the
Bank of Korea, to take further
measures to help spur growth. (24
January, BBC News)
Davos 2013: Merkel says Europe
must stick to austerity: European
nations must stick to continuing
austerity
measures
to
reduce
government debt levels, the German
Chancellor has said. Speaking at the
World Economic Forum, Angela
Merkel said that Europe “must
implement the structural reforms
today so we can live better
tomorrow”. She added that it was
also vital for European countries to
keep up work to improve their
economic competitiveness. Earlier,
the Dutch prime minister had called
for more work to boost growth. Also
speaking at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mark
Rutte said he found it “frustrating”
that eurozone nations were “so
much”
focused
on
crisis
management. (24 January, BBC
News)
U.K. finance industry to cut 43,000
jobs, CBI survey says: The U.K.’s
financial industry will lose 43,000
jobs in six months, according to a
forecast from the Confederation of
British Industry, as companies shrink
and
reduce
costs.
Banks
(F3BANKS),
insurers,
asset
managers and other finance firms
probably cut 25,000 positions in the
last three months of 2012 and may
eliminate 18,000 jobs in the first
quarter of this year, according to a
study by Britain’s biggest business
lobby
group
and
PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP,
published today. Global cuts at
financial firms have exceeded
115,000 since 2012 as they seek to
control compensation expenses and
retreat
from
capital-intensive
businesses, according to data
compiled by Bloomberg. (21 January,
Bloomberg)
Russia locked in ‘huge’ rates feud,
Shuvalov says: Russia’s central bank
is resisting calls to cut interest rates,
sparking a “huge argument” with the
government over priorities as
economic growth slumps, First
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov
said. Russia needs “easier money” to
boost corporate lending, Shuvalov,
46, said in a Jan. 18 interview during
a train ride to Moscow from Kaluga.
Bank Rossii, the country’s central
bank, has room to cut borrowing
costs by as much as a percentage
point and is resisting as it fights
inflation, he said. (21 January,
Bloomberg)
Singapore growth beats estimates
as it avoids recession: Singapore’s
economy has averted a technical
recession, as it reported better-thanexpected growth data for the fourth
quarter. The economy expanded
1.1% in the October to December
period, from a year earlier, advance
estimates showed. On a quarter-onquarter basis, the economy grew
1.8%. That is up from a 6.3%
contraction in the third quarter.
Growth was boosted by a rebound in
the services industries, which include
retail, finance and insurance sectors.
(2 January, BBC News)
China growth shows signs of pickup from 13-year low: China’s
economy, the world’s second largest,
is showing signs of a rebound that
could help it emerge from its worst
1 – 31 January 2013
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
1
NATIONAL
NASIONAL
Malaysia’s
stake
in
global
economy: Strong international trade
relationships
between
nations
facilitate access to global markets
which in turn support the growth of
local businesses and industries.
Supporting this assertion, statistics
show that 62 per cent of Malaysia’s
trade is currently with countries with
which it has Free Trade Agreements
(FTA), including Japan, Pakistan,
New Zealand, India, Chile and
Australia. Together with other Asean
members, Malaysia has concluded
regional FTAs with countries such as
China and South Korea, allowing
businesses based in Malaysia to
benefit from preferential access to
over 3.5 billion customers located
abroad. (4 January, Business Times)
Momentum pertumbuhan lebih
positif separuh kedua: Pertumbuhan
ekonomi Malaysia diunjur sedikit
lemah pada separuh pertama tahun ini
didorong oleh prestasi kurang
memberangsangkan sektor eksport
akibat tekanan faktor luaran. Selain
itu, ketidaktentuan berhubung tarikh
dan keputusan pilihan raya umum ke13
(PRU13)
turut
menjadi
penyumbang. Bank Islam di dalam
nota penyelidikannya bagaimanapun
mengunjurkan
momentum
pertumbuhan lebih positif pada
separuh kedua 2013 sejajar dengan
jangkaan pemulihan ekonomi global.
Ini didorong oleh hala tuju yang lebih
jelas mengenai pemulihan krisis
hutang zon Eropah selain petunjuk
positif mengenai ekonomi Amerika
Syarikat dan China. (30 Januari,
Utusan Malaysia)
Malaysia expects RM1bil in FDIs
from China: Malaysia is expecting
about RM1bil in foreign direct
investments (FDIs) from China this
year, the Minister of International
Trade and Industry Datuk Seri
Mustapa Mohamed said. He said on
Tuesday that up to November last
year, the total FDI approved for
manufacturing sector from China to
Malaysia was RM1.5bil. “We are
hoping more investment to come
from China into the country with the
development of Malaysia-China
Kuantan Industrial Park,” he said. (29
January, The Star)
Economists see slight rise in
Malaysia inflation rate: The
inflation rate in Malaysia remained
stable in 2012 but it is expected to
1 – 31 January 2013
edge up in 2013, said economists.
They have projected the Consumer
Price Index, which is the official
barometer to measure the inflation
rate, to grow by an average 1.38 per
cent for December. The Statistics
Department will release the details
today. TA Research economist
Patricia Oh said the modest inflation
for the year has been supported by
the government's subsidies on
essential goods. For the month of
December 2012, the petrol subsidy
for RON95 was RM0.74 per litre
based on the pump price of RM1.90
per litre. (23 January, Business
Times)
MIER projects economy growing
by 5.6% this year: Increasing
domestic demand and sustainable
exports are expected to drive the
Malaysian economy to grow by 5.6%
this year, according to Malaysian
Institute of Economic Research
(MIER). Its economist and executive
director Dr Zakariah Abdul Rashid
said domestic demand was becoming
the saviour of growth. “I think Asean
and (the) greater Asia region can help
drive
global
growth,
moving
forward,” he said. However, Zakariah
said the actual strength of forecast
growth would also depend on how
strong the world economy would be
when it pulled out of the current
recessionary situation and recovered.
(18 January, The Star)
Eksport sawit dijangka lemah:
Prospek eksport minyak sawit
tempatan dijangka lemah pada tahun
ini didorong oleh kurang daya saing
daripada minyak sawit Indonesia
serta kelembapan permintaan dari
China dan Pakistan. Alliance
Research dalam nota penyelidikannya
mengunjurkan harga minyak sawit
mentah (MSM) pada tahun ini adalah
RM2,600 setan metrik berbanding
unjuran awal iaitu RM2,900.
Katanya, harga MSM sudahpun
dipengaruhi oleh penurunan cukai
eksport yang diperkenalkan baru-baru
ini tetapi ia dilihat masih tidak
mampu merangsang eksport untuk
tahun 2013. “Kami mengunjurkan
pengeluaran pada tahun ini adalah
mendatar
berbanding
tahun
sebelumnya disebabkan oleh cuaca
yang tidak menentu. Dengan itu,
kami menjangkakan harga MSM
tidak akan mengalami aliran kukuh
sepanjang tahun ini kecuali pada suku
pertama sehingga kedua 2013, iaitu
pada musim puncak untuk sektor
tersebut,” katanya. (17 Januari,
Utusan Malaysia)
Industri pertanian sumbang 7%
ekonomi negara: Sektor pertanian
menyumbang sebanyak tujuh peratus
kepada ekonomi negara pada tahun
lalu, kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana
Menteri, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed
Yakcop. Beliau berkata, pertumbuhan
itu dicapai disebabkan kerajaan bijak
merancang ekonomi setiap lima
tahun dengan pengenalan programprogram ekonomi. Beliau yang juga
Ahli Parlimen Tasek Gelugor
berkata, kerajaan telah mengenal
pasti beberapa bidang yang boleh
menjana pendapatan kepada negara
termasuk bidang pertanian dan
industri asas tani yang berdaya maju.
“Projek
fasa
pertama
Model
Pengurusan Estet Padi (EMM)
berjaya menambah pendapatan petani
kepada RM5,200 semusim bagi
setiap
sehektar,
malah
turut
menggalakkan nilai keusahawanan di
kalangan pesawah,” katanya ketika
merasmikan majlis menuai padi
Program EMM di Nyior Sebatang di
sini semalam. (21 Januari, Utusan
Malaysia)
Malaysia’s November exports up
3.3% to RM58.67b on-year:
Malaysia’s exports in November
2012 rose 3.3% to RM58.67bil from
a year ago, boosted by manufactured
goods, as the exports data beat
economists’ expectations of a 2.3%
increase. The Statistics Department
said on Wednesday China was the
largest export market, accounting for
RM7.73bil. It also said Malaysia
imports increased at a faster pace of
4.3% to RM49.39bil. “Total trade
expanded by 3.7% from November
2011 to RM108.06bil. The increase
in total trade was contributed mainly
by higher trade with Asean which
increased by RM2.06bil; China up
RM1.79bil and India up RM1.6bil,”
it said. (9 January, The Star)
Malaysia output up 7.5% in
November: Malaysia’s Industrial
Production Index (IPI) rose 7.5% in
November as compared with the
same month in 2011, said the
Department of Statistics Malaysia. In
a statement yesterday, the department
said that the increase was due to a
rise in all indices, with manufacturing
recording a 7.6% growth while
mining expanded by 7.5% and
electricity, 6%. It said the IPI in
October 2012 had been revised to a
positive 6.4% year-on-year. “On a
seasonally adjusted month-on-month
basis, the IPI in November 2012 went
up by 1.4%, contributed by all
indices:
manufacturing
(1.4%),
mining (1.5%) and electricity (2.%),”
it said. (11 January, The Star)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
2
LOCAL
TEMPATAN
RM3.499 billion spent on projects –
CM: A total of RM3.499 billion, or
80.1 per cent of the RM4.366 billion
allocated for the state last year has
been spent to carry out development
projects statewide. Chief Minister
Datuk Seri Musa Aman, in disclosing
this yesterday, said the allocation
under the Second Rolling Plan of
10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) was
meant for 785 development projects
in Sabah. “We have performed 6.48
per cent above the national average
of 73.6 per cent. Therefore, it is my
hope that the existing momentum
which has been generated through
various initiatives introduced under
the 10MP will continue this year
through the implementation of
agenda planned to strengthen the
people’s
confidence
in
the
Government,” he said. (18 January,
The Borneo Post)
Jana pelaburan RM3.21 bilion:
Sektor perikanan di negeri ini terus
memberi sumbangan yang signifikan
kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negeri
apabila berjaya menjana pelaburan
swasta berjumlah RM3.21 bilion
tahun lalu. Timbalan Ketua Menteri,
Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin berkata,
pelaburan itu dijangka mampu
memberi
pulangan
berjumlah
RM6.53 bilion dan menyediakan
pekerjaan kepada 31,231 orang.
“Antaranya
ialah
syarikat
multinasional daripada Amerika
Syarikat, Darden melalui anak
syarikatnya
Lobster
Aqua
Technologies Sdn. Bhd. yang
melabur sejumlah RM2 bilion bagi
membangunkan
projek
udang
harimau di Semporna,” katanya
kepada pemberita di Kota Kinabalu
hari ini. (23 Januari, Utusan
Malaysia)
Sabah with most number of
1Malaysia Clinics: Sabah will have
the largest number of 1Malaysia
Clinics in the country when seven
more are built this year to bring the
total to 27. There will be 111 new
health clinics built and 286 rural
clinics due for upgrading in Sabah
under
the
Health
Services
Transformation
Plan.
Fourteen
districts in the state have been
allocated Mobile Clinics with 21
teams visiting 163 villages. The
Oncology Centre and Centre of
Nuclear Medicine are in the process
of being constructed and will be
ready soon, fitted with Linear
Accelerator and new Brach therapy
equipment. (28 January, New Sabah
Times)
1 – 31 January 2013
Five key Petronas projects coming
onstream this year: Sabah’s oil and
gas industry is set for a big step
forward when five key projects of
Petronas in Sabah come onstream this
year. These projects, which were
announced about two years back, are
progressing well and achieving
targeted
milestones
in
their
implementation,
according
to
Petronas Sabah and Labuan chairman
Joseph Podtung. The five projects are
Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT),
Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP),
Kimanis Power Plant (KPP), Kimanis
Petroleum Training Centre (KTC)
and Kinabalu Non Associated Gas
(NAG) upstream development. Most
of the projects of Petronas are
expected to be completed within this
year while some may begin
operations early 2014, Joseph said
during a luncheon with the media
here in Kota Kinabalu yesterday. (11
January, The Borneo Post)
1,500 pelajar Tambunan dapat
komputer 1Malaysia: Sebanyak
1,500 pelajar daripada 26 buah
sekolah rendah dan empat sekolah
menengah di daerah ini menerima
bantuan komputer 1Malaysia di
bawah Inisiatif Pelaksanaan Jalur
Lebar (NBI). Sumbangan itu
disampaikan
Timbalan
Ketua
Menteri, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin
Kitingan dalam majlis perasmian
Pengagihan Komputer 1Malaysia di
Dewan Masyarakat Tambunan, di
sini semalam. Pairin berkata,
penerima
bantuan
komputer
1Malaysia diingatkan memanfaatkan
kemudahan itu dalam pembelajaran
supaya mereka dapat meningkatkan
ilmu pengetahuan demi masa depan.
“Kerajaan memberikan bantuan ini
kerana prihatin kepada anak-anak
yang
memerlukannya
dalam
pembelajaran mereka sesuai dengan
tuntutan masa kini,” kata Ahli Dewan
Undangan
Negeri
(ADUN)
Tambunan itu. (18 Januari, Utusan
Malaysia)
68 keluarga terima bantuan baik
pulih rumah: Sebanyak 68 keluarga
di kawasan Klias dekat sini bakal
menjalani kehidupan lebih selesa
apabila kediaman mereka dibaik
pulih dalam masa terdekat. Ahli
Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN)
Klias, Datuk Azizah Mohd. Dun
berkata, bantuan itu disalurkan
melalui
peruntukan
Yayasan
Pembangunan 1Malaysia Berhad
(1MDB) yang memperuntukkan
sebanyak RM2,000 hingga RM5,000
bagi sebuah rumah untuk kos
pembaikan. “Banyak peruntukan
pembaikan rumah penduduk yang
telah disalurkan ke kawasan Klias
daripada
pelbagai
pihak
dan
sebahagiannya telah dilaksanakan,”
katanya ketika ditemui dalam majlis
penyerahan
surat
kelulusan
pembaikan rumah kepada penduduk
di
Balai
Wanita
Kampung
Limbawang di Beaufort semalam. (18
Januari, Utusan Malaysia)
1,000 lagi rumah PPR akan dibina
di
Putatan:
Kerajaan
telah
meluluskan pembinaan sebanyak
1,000 unit rumah di bawah Program
Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) bagi
penduduk berpendapatan rendah di
daerah ini. Timbalan Ketua Menteri,
Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin berkata,
pembinaan rumah berkenaan juga
bertujuan mengurangkan masalah
setinggan di kawasan tersebut.
“Projek PPR ini akan dimulakan
dalam tempoh terdekat ini. Justeru,
saya berharap rakyat tempatan di
Putatan khususnya yang masih
tinggal di kawasan setinggan akan
merebut peluang membeli rumah
PPR ini,” katanya dalam majlis
Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat di
Kampung Dumpil, di Putatan
semalam. (19 Januari, Utusan
Malaysia)
RM70m upgrade of Sandakan
airport ready in 18 months: The
Federal Government has allocated
RM70 million to upgrade the
Sandakan Airport, said Transport
Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.
He said the project involved the
expansion of the terminal building to
give comfort to the passengers. The
scope of the project included
expanding the terminal size to 3,000
square metres, upgrading the
departure
and
arrival
halls,
immigration check-point, baggage
scanning area, mechanical and
electrical
system,
full
airconditioning the terminal and
increasing the parking area. (13
January, Daily Express)
Bantuan persekolahan RM35 juta
di seluruh Sabah: Kementerian
Pembangunan Masyarakat dan Hal
Ehwal Pengguna negeri telah
membelanjakan sebanyak RM35 juta
sepanjang tahun 2011 dan 2012 bagi
memberi
bantuan
persekolahan
kepada pelajar di negeri ini. Menteri
Pembangunan Masyarakat dan Hal
Ehwal Pengguna Negeri, Datuk
Azizah
Mohd.
Dun
berkata,
peruntukan itu memberi manfaat
kepada kira-kira 300,000 pelajar
sekolah di seluruh negeri. “Program
berkenaan
melibatkan
bantuan
keperluan pelajar seperti bantuan
susu sekolah, buku tulis dan pakaian
sekolah serta alat tulis. “Bantuan
seumpama itu merupakan usaha
kerajaan bagi meringankan beban
khususnya kepada pelajar dari
keluarga berpendapatan rendah,”
katanya. (7 Januari, Utusan Malaysia)
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
3
SELECTED FACTS AND FIGURES
FAKTA MUTAKHIR
MALAYSIA’S EXPORTS OF LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS BY COUNTRY, 2011
Other countries
5%
Republic of Korea
12%
Taiwan
15%
Japan
68%
(Source: 30 January, Department of Statistics Malaysia)
HSBC GDP GROWTH FORECASTS
Countries
2012
New
80.0
5.2
1.9
2.2
1.5
1.1
5.3
China
India
Japan
South Korea
Singapore
Taiwan
Malaysia
2013
Old
7.8
5.7
1.9
2.6
1.7
1.3
4.2
New
8.6
6.2
0.2
3.8
3.0
4.2
4.8
Old
8.5
6.9
1.1
3.8
2.9
5.4
4.8
(Source: 11 January, Business Times)
CHINA MANUFACTURING SECTOR JAN. 2012 - JAN. 2013 (%)
51.9
51.5
50.5
49.6
49.3
49.5
49.3
48.4
48.8
48.3
48.2
47.9
47.6
Jan.
2012
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May.
Jun
Jul.
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
(Source: 25 January, Business Times)
JAPAN TRADE (TRILLION YEN) $1 = ¥88.84
1 – 31 January 2013
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
4
Jan.
2013
8
6.63
6
4
2.67
2.06
2
0
2008
-2
2009
2010
-2.56
-6.92
2011
2012
-4
-6
-8
(Source: 25 January, Business Times)
LATEST IMF PROJECTIONS
[The IMF continues to project gradual global recovery in 2013, in line with its October forecast (%change)]
Projections
World Output
Advanced Economies
United States
Euro Area
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Japan
United Kingdom
Canada
Newly Industrialized Asian
Countries
Emerging
Market
and
Developing Economies
Russia
Developing Asia
China
India
ASEAN-5*
Brazil
Difference from Oct 2012
WEO projections
2013
2014
-0.1
-0.1
-0.2
-0.1
-0.1
-0.1
-0.3
-0.1
-0.3
0.1
-0.1
-0.2
-0.3
0.0
-0.1
-0.2
0.0
-0.4
-0.1
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
-0.4
-0.2
2011
3.9
1.6
1.8
1.4
3.1
1.7
0.4
0.4
-0.6
0.9
2.6
4.0
2012
3.2
1.3
2.3
-0.4
0.9
0.2
-2.1
-1.4
2.0
-0.2
2.0
1.8
2013
3.5
1.4
2.0
-0.2
0.6
0.3
-1.0
-1.5
1.2
1.0
1.8
3.2
2014
4.1
2.2
3.0
1.0
1.4
0.9
0.5
0.8
0.7
1.9
2.3
3.9
6.3
5.1
5.5
5.9
-0.1
0.0
4.3
8.0
9.3
7.9
4.5
2.7
3.6
6.6
7.8
4.5
5.7
1.0
3.7
7.1
8.2
5.9
5.5
3.5
3.8
7.5
8.5
6.4
5.7
4.0
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
-0.1
-0.2
-0.4
-0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
-0.2
*Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam
(Source: 25 January, Business Times)
MALAYSIA GDP AND CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE/GDP
GDP
Current account balance/GDP
7.70%
5.80%
5.10%
5.00%
5.30%
5.10%
3.70%
2.90%
2012
2013
2014
2015
(Source: 17 January, Business Times)
1 – 31 January 2013
MONTHLY NEWS SCAN (Tinjauan Berita Bulanan)
5