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Hi Jeff,

I support Anwar's fight for change in Malaysia. But I do agree with Rocky that Anwar needs to take some responsibility for the instability in the market and low investor confidence.

I think Malaysians don't mind going through a little "down time" if we had some light at the end of the tunnel. However, with empty promises and too much lip service about the coup attempt, we're beginning to feel disillusioned - whatever his reasons are.

He should either make his BIG move now, or patiently gain support without shaking the ecosystem.

So which SEA country are reaping all the FDI?

Soalan Matematik Mudah...

Harga minyak di bulan September kira kira 1 barrel = USD$ 105.00

USD$1.00 = RM3.45
1 barrel = 158.9873 litres
maka harga 1 liter minyak sebenarnya
US$ 105 X 3.45 / 158.9873 = RM2.27/litre

Mana pergi RM0.18 dan subsidi RM0.30???

Dipetik dari...

http://gomalaysian.blogspot.com/2008/09/malaysiakini-bagaimana-kerajaan-kira.html

The country has been "bleeding" money since last year... I'm sure the Second Finance Minister was/is well aware of it...

BUT the spin doctors within the good ship KD UMNOKRONI will seek to deflect the blame to poor DSAI...

Eventually when we have "no more blood" to bleed, then they will gladly "hand over" the nation to DSAI >>> after bleeding the coffers of our nation, and fattening the BAHTERA KD UMNOKRONI (read: the private companies, helmed by UMNO financiers!!)

Dear YB,

I think you should end the topic of "Start of the End".

For boosting enthuasism, it was correct to maintain the 16th of September target for the PR to take over the government. But the following dates were too unrealistic.

Everyone knows that it is not easy to take over the government from a party which have been ruling it for 51 years.

The rakyat in general wants a change, a "real" change. At this point rakyat have not lost hope yet.

The task for PR will be tremendous becuase, rakyat wants a change in order to teach the ruling party a lesson.

Once they see "inefficiency" in PR, rakyat will just grumble and go back to the old ruling party again.

I don't really know what happen to the temple in Selangor, but if PR doesn't get to the root of this problem, what happened to Selangor's ruling government after they demolished the temple in Selangor just before Deepavali will happen to PR too.

Missing the deadlines, too many contradicting statements, temple demolition.......there is always a limit for patience.

Hope you all (as an active politician) are aware of these things. Please re-act effectively.

Thanks.

JEFF OOI says: As you wrote, the START OF THE END was actually taking place. It relates to the end of an era of bad public management, the end of a race-based political system, and so on and so forth. My message may have overflown your head. Alas, amen.

In today's Sun frontpage you read Najib saying that barring US economic downturn effects on other economies, we are on target to achieving 5.5-5.7% pa growth rate. Then on page 8, Muhyiddin says the govt expects the FDI outflow this year to exceed those of 2006 and 2007 and the govt will have a target investment drive to solicit what's suitable for the country.

What gives?

If both of them are right, then the GDP growth to be achieved in the next few remaining months will have to come from increased domestic investments. Given prevailing negative investor sentiments, from where, one wonders? Furthermore, what sort of new targeted investment drive are we talking about when the outflow has been taking place for almost three years now? It also seems odd that when investors have left in droves, these people are still talking about only taking in what's suitable for the country. What exactly is that?

But the most disquieting thing is that it takes an Unctad report to puncture the myth that all is well in this land. The downslide has been going on for years but there has been nothing in the media to jolt everyone up that things are really as bad as what the bloggers have been saying all along.

It has been denial exposed and propaganda punctured but the leaders seem to be crisis ignored. And that's because their investment drive right now is their own survival without which it may be argued they can't provide the rakyat with the next alls-well sigh-relieving signals.

But all is not well. The human capital we need has flown with the FDI too. The local uni's are a ragbag of race-based mediocrities and soon their feeder schools are about to be overturned again by another flipflop policy change made on the grounds of some pseudo survey cobbled to deliver results that would justify the continued placation of a clueless community. Meanwhile the political gimmickries continue to be monopolized by bigots and racists hellbent on maintaining their cozy arrangement even if that will destroy the future of this country and the inherent goodwill between the peoples so necessary to deliver the common drive to push investment drives. And as the worth of the ringgit continues to drop, the size of the government deficit continues to balloon in tandem with the drop in oil prices so critical to national revenues. Meanwhile despite what has been portrayed, low growth compounded by high inflation will kill off businesses and employment in a climate of uncertainty fuelled by power infighting and double standards of justice. While all this is happening, the public transportation system grinds to a nasty choke and body bags build up on women and men killed in the most brutal ways in this crime-infested land that will welcome only investments suitable for this country. Why are our police so busy trying to ambush hapless motorists in cities when they should be directing traffic bottlenecks and patrolling the grounds?

There is a complete disconnect from reality in the minds of those who think they are indispensable leaders of this country. One guy can even be proud that as deputy he meets his boss two times a day. What if there are three crises? What's going on in their heads that they think their job is about meetings? Shouldn't leaders lead by taking the bull by the horns so that the rakyat won't get gored down the road?

It's also too easy to blame the US and global economies and say we can't be insulated from downturns. No one is bothered by these self-evidences. Others had long ago concluded that they must be the best to compete with the world and not just play zero-sum games to compete amongst themselves. What are you going to do about it now, that's the damn question to be asked, answered and executed. That we have come to this stage of FDI outflow against the very tide of inflows into other neighbouring states of lesser resources is a clear and present indictment of the clear and present predicament we are in. And all they can talk about is transition between A and B and to prove how important it is to national survival, it will all boil down to two meetings a day between the two of them.

Ptui.

Why can't they see that if they think a downstairs-to-upstairs transition is critical, a complete overhaul of how this country is being led is even more critical? The engine of Malaysia is sputtering. Soon you will have to consign her to join those one thousand buses in the junkyard.

One is reminded of how clownish they are. When things are well, a kenduri of thanks followed by a well-earned holiday for the family at state expense. But when things go awry, a phone call to the spinmeisters to spin another yarn, a statement or two here and there to try and look good and wait it out. Is this how Malaysia survives for the future of her young, those very starry-eyed energetic youngsters who have asked to change their lifestyle even when their take-home less tax pay in a shrinking ringgit has been static for all these years of runaway inflation in a crimped job market to boot?

Ptui, again.

And now and then, when beaten to a corner, they will say how important the SMEs are to the national economy. What exactly have been done for all of them? The operative word here is ALL. Including those which are nonmalay owned. Out with the records, don't even bother to erase the difficulties they have to get incentives, loans, land and permits. Or is it another lipservice play to skirt around the zerosum NEP game?

How can this country's economy really grow if all the state focus is not and never on those real growth factors because the govt is too chicken to be seen by their own blinkered supporters to support the real producers, workers, entrepreneurs and contributors to national wealth? The father who favours the prodigal son will soon destroy the whole family. Are we still one?

And not a single word on why the FDI outflew for three years in a row. Don't grasp at straws. Those reserves are shrinking in value and costs can only go up. Change how this country is run because things can only get worse if you don't.

Don't blame old men with too much phlegm. Ptui.

Dear Go!Malaysian and ALL,

The price per barrel is actually for crude oil, which the oil is still in a natural state that has not yet been treated.

To make the crude oil become petrol or diesel, they need to go thru some processes. The cost for the process shall be included in the formula as well. But, too bad, we do not know how much is the cost to process the oil to become 1 litre of petrol (Anyone know? Can share?).

Just like tea bag lah, not yet process, tea leaf is cheap one... after put into tea bag.. the price is higher.

But, in fact... our price still the lowest in the region, hahahahahaha...!!!

P/S* You believe we are the lowest ah...?

1.

go!malaysian: check your blog's comments - there's still logistics & processing costs.

2.

FDI outflow is really screwed up. But there's 1 question that has been on my mind for ages:

If i'm not mistaken, the opposition controls the vital states that covers the majority of the Malaysian economy. And now that the opposition has more than 1/3 of the parlimentary seats, apart from making so much noise about our declining economy, what have you done to improve this?

seriously, i'm so sick of the opposition creating so much hoo-hah about this and that, when I believe that you guys could actually DO something.

Correct me if i'm wrong.. but I AM SURE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO, RIGHT?

Because as of today, all i can see is TALK, TALK & MORE TALK. WHAT HAVE YOU GUYS ACHIEVED? NOTHING!

3.

Take China for example. Many years ago when consumer spending is low, the government came up with a plan that actually encouraged consumer spending (and finally boosted their economy to a point of no return).

And the plan is so simple - Give the people long holidays.

There are 2 major holidays in China (but no longer so starting this year). 10 - 14 days holiday on CNY & 7 days holidays on national day.

This is the time when the locals travel all over china & effectively spent LOTS of money & boosted the internal economy...

or havent you realised that Malaysians' spending power are just too miserable?

This is what i mean by taking action. Give proposals instead of just taking the easy way of showing people that you're actually "doing something" by just looking back and digging the dirt on the history.

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WILL BE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!

Hi, Jeff

The Spore Business Times yesterday (Sept 25) carried a more balanced report on this subject.

It noted that net outflow of funds for 2007 amounted to almost RM9 billion (FDI inflow RM29 billion, FDI outflow RM38 billion), according to the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2008.

The report said the net outflow was due mainly to local firms "accelerating cross-border acquisitions to fulfil regional dreams". That is not a bad thing.

The report said that "economists see the increase in reverse investments as a 'healthy' development, given many sectors of the Malaysian economy have reached near-maturity or maturity and surplus domestic funds require an outlet".

What is worrying is that Malaysia fell from 67th position on 2006 to 71st position in 2007 on the Inward FDI Performance Index. The concern is, according to the report, what will happen if domestic investments and FDI inflow decline sharply in future.

Malaysia has 6 companies (Petronas, YTL Corp, Genting, Telekom, Sime Darby and Maxis) in the UNCTAD list of the top 100 non-financial TNCs (transnational companies) from developing countries, ranked by foreign assets.

Here's a question to ask the new Finance Minister: why is KL not in the list of the top 10 global financial centres, as per the City of London's latest Global Financial Centres Index?

The top 10 global financial centres, according to this Index are:

1. London
2. New York
3. Singapore
4. Hong Kong
5. Zurich
6. Geneva
7. Tokyo
8. Chicago
9. Frankfurt
10.Sydney

GreaterGood,

I'm not going to assume to understand your grievances and frustrations but believe you me, the majority of those who visit Screenshots are all hoping for a transparent/accountable government and efforts to improve the economy be undertaken as soon as possible.

However, IMO, to say that Pakatan has not done anything for the economy despite forming five state government is somewhat flawed. The operative word here being "state".

Its still BN that forms the federal government and hence it is them who decide on our countries economic policies not the state governments.