Proton

Challengers facing Proton:

1. Saturated car market in Malaysia. Ratio of adults to car at 2.4:1
2. Intense domestic competition
3. Perception of consumers especially on Proton's quality though the post-Gen2 models have shown great improvement
4. Political intervention
5. Need to consider wide spectrum of stakeholders

Suggestions:

1. Diversify into other industries
2. Tap the new markets
3. Promotion, promotion, promotion (seldom seen Proton's ad on tv)
4. Quality control esp the vendors
5. Give Proton greater autonomy
6. Proton cannot please everybody. It's either business or....

News on Proton:

1. Proton posts RM591mil loss
2. Analysts: Proton has to pull up its socks
3. Khazanah sets year-end target for Proton revamp
4. Proton to fill key positions in revamp

They need some lessons

Directors, accountants and auditors who involve in publicly listed companies must be responsible (in fact, all of us must be responsible in whatever walk of life we are in) in undertaking their jobs.

From investors' point of view, it is frustrating to find that those who are given responsibilities to handle our hard-earned money, irresponsibly manipulate the system/misuse the money for their "self-interest". My advise to them, "Open your own company (sole-proprietorship) and there you can do what ever you like without involving other peoples' money".

• SC: High standards to prevail
• Punish those who manipulate accounts
• Bursa is consistent

Q1 2007 economic performance

From The Star: First-quarter growth at 5.3%

The place we call home

What is your imagination of your dream house? I believe it is not just about a place to sleep and rest but a house should be a heaven to a person. Be it inside or outside the house, we want a place that can give us serenity and tranquility when we approach it and what more when we are in it.

Given the scenario of rapidly developing Kuala Lumpur, are you happy with your neighbourhood?

It is a fact that prices of real estate in KL is very high relative to other places in Malaysia, but I don't think many of us satisfy with the amount of money that we pay for our resident compared with its size, surrounding, neighbourhood etc. In other words, we don't get good value for our money.

Think of this; it's a huge development gap between the quality of our house vs our office buildings in Malaysia. First class office buildings but third class housing.

Read this and this

Brain drain study

As Malaysia continues to invest heavily on education, more studies need to be done to understand returns to education. With more conclusive findings in the study, a better perspective to analyze the issue of brain drain in the country could be undertaken.

• Reassessing the Impacts of Brain Drain on Developing Countries

Malaysians readiness for retirement

Start your retirement plan early or else... counting on the nest egg

When we're 70

Add to the list of rich Malaysians

How the bull market can make some people rich

Again on public servants pay rise

Public servants' pay rise ranging from 35 - 7.5 % has caused few concerns:

1. Rising price especially due to demand-pull inflation
2. Stronger economic growth via higher consumption expenditure and feel good factor (wealth effect)
3. Fiscal deficit position of the government.
4. Wage adjustment in the private sector
5. Impact of the above mentioned points over other working groups i.e self-employed
6. Prediction of the next general election.

Read some analyses from the Starbiz

Corruption-free Malaysia

We need to be more serious in fighting corruption. In the latest corruption perception index, Malaysia's rank has dropped from the previous one. In this context, fighting corruption alone is not enough. We also need to build better perception internationally if we want to improve our country's rank.

- See a working paper on Making Malaysia Corruption Free
- Open tender to improve transparency

IRB should improve it services

IRB should improve it services especially its online portal. Ease the tax payers' dealings with IRB, then many are happy to pay their taxes. Tax thought

Pay rise contributes to economic growth

This is my opinion on the issue - interview with Utusan Malaysia

Happy for the public servants' pay rise

What I say in Utusan Malaysia

Price increase

An interview with Prof. Dr. Pazim from UM

Fast-food advertising ban

Fast food advertising ban was suggested as the way to reduce the alarming problem of obesity among the Malaysian kids.

I think this is not a good form of government intervention. Consider this argument - The forbidden fruit

Monopoly Malaysia

Synergy Drive - a new milestone in monopoly-Malaysia.

Why we are moving away from competition?

Maintenance issue and the discredibility of the maintenance works done are costing million of Ringgit.

Yes the government can spend a lot of money to achieve high economic growth, but this is not the way we want it to be!

Columbia looks bullish

Prospect of Columbia.

Malaysia is better. We need promotions, big promotions to the world.

Price increase

Wheat price has increased by 15 cent and this has sparked public dissatisfaction over rising price of daily necessities lately.
Hope for wage increase is mounting now. Understandably the lower income group really suffer.
I consider the upward pressure of controlled items such as oil & diesel, cooking oil, wheat, chicken etc is the effect of price control mechanism. Once you impose price control, the market mechanism is no longer flexible to adjust to the supply and demand. In the long run, the government can't no longer subsidize/support the price control without having to release some of the burden to the producer/consumer. So far the trend seems indicating that the consumers bear the burden most of the time.
Producers could effectively protect their interest because of their strong lobby on the government.

New gen of workforce

Are we ready for them? Gen Yere and Gen Ywomen

Study now, pay later

Student loan such as PTPTN is easy to get. But be aware of the burden of debt service in the future - Study Now—And Pay And Pay And Pay Later

Get the experts' views

Evolution, Immigration and Trade

Sharpen our competitive edge

Vietnam is a new challenger in a very competitive Asia Pacific economy.

Malaysia really needs to sharpen its competitive edge in order to remain relevant in this kind of intense global economy. We cannot still day dream of previous achievements.

Graduate employment

Is the current Malaysia's labor market like this?

Undergrads' 25 Most Wanted Employers

Science-based priority

It is clear that we are preparing to become a developed country by giving priority to science-based fields of study. Scholarship awards by the government can be one sign of the gear shifting.

Brain drain

In order to leapfrog to grow, we need to provide better incentives to achieve brain gain or else we will suffer from brain drain.