Mahathir's Disastrous Financial Speculation

A murky and embarrassing case is closed, hiding top government officials’ involvement

Sometime over the next few days, a court in Kuala Lumpur will put the finishing touches to an agreement that allows Tajudin Ramli, the former head of Malaysian Airline System, not only to walk away from charges that he had  looted the airline of tens of millions of US dollars but with an RM580 million (US$293.2 million) out-of-court settlement from the government.

No Autonomy, No Economy

By Clement Lee

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth Exco Clement Lee has put the entire blame on the Barisan Nasional (BN) government who has failed miserably in improving the standard and quality of living of fellow Sabahans because of unsustainable economy, poor basic utilities, mediocre infrastructure and transportation planning, in no small part due to the lack of autonomy from current administration.

A recent study by World Bank entitled 2010 Malaysia Economy Monitor (MEM) found Sabah to be the poorest of any states in Malaysia. What did we do to deserve this title?

SAPP Economic Plan for Sabah

SABAH PROGRESSIVE PARTY (SAPP) will be launching its Sabah Economic Plan on 16th January 2012 (Monday) at 2.00 pm at Ming Garden Hotel, Kota Kinabalu. The event will be launched officially by Datuk Yong Teck Lee, the President of SAPP.

Former Finance Minister, who is also SAPP adviser, Datuk Hj. Mohd Noor Mansoor, will be presenting the Economic Paper. It is expected between 150-200 people including invited guests will be attending the event.

The foundation of a sustainable economy

Sabah, endowed with a vast array of natural resources could easily guarantee a decent middle class wealth and economic well-being for every citizen of this country regardless of his or her background.

This perception does not necessitate a scholar in macro economics to deduce because of its palpable proof. An average “run-of-the-mill” farmer can tell you this obvious fact any day.

S'pore's Budget 2011 made Malaysian's blood boil!

Makes my blood boils! WAKE UP!!!

I was in Spore when their 2011 budget was tabled. There were two items that impressed me most ..... can't remember all:

Growth and share concept: Spore govt will give away cash amounting to SGD800.00 to individuals and between SGD5,000.00 - 2,000.00 per household. The estimated per household should average more than SGD3,000.00 or about RM10,000.00!!

Malaysia! You pay peanuts you get MONKEYS....

NEP, brain drain holding back Malaysia, says World Bank

More than one million Malaysians live abroad, the World Bank said, adding that policies favouring Malays are holding back the economy, causing a brain drain and limiting foreign investment.

In a Bloomberg news service report today, World Bank senior economist Philip Schellekens was also quoted as saying that foreign investment could be five times the current levels if the country had Singapore’s talent base.

600,000 Malaysians in Singapore?

Some 600,000 Malaysians may be living and working in Singapore, which has a population of just over 5 million.

World Bank useless, its report politically-motivated?

Former Prime Minister and dubbed a racist, senile Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad described the World Bank as “useless”, saying today that it was politically motivated for putting out a report that pro-Bumiputera policies are stunting the country’s economy.

The former prime minister said the World Bank report was politically motivated as it wanted a change of prime minister, seemingly referring to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a former chairman of its development committee.

BN has Failed the Economy of Malaysia, Especially Sabah's

Stock Indices	Dec 1997	Apr 2011
KLSE	589	1557
Jakarta	401	3735

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/

SAPP Api-Api CLC Organising Secretary Clement Lee says the table above indicates that the BN-led government has failed to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) into Malaysia due to unfriendly investment policies, red-tape, hidden costs and unattractive investment packages. For the past 13 years, most of the listed companies in KLSE remain uncompetitive compared to those of our neighbour, Indonesia.

Sudan is more progressive than Malaysia

Written by  Mariam Mokhtar

 

The two countries – Malaysia and Sudan, are like chalk and cheese.

Sudan is the largest and one of the most geographically diverse countries in Africa. The south is an area of swamps and rain forests and is separated from the mostly desert north by mountain ranges. The River Nile splits the country from east to west. Sudan's borders were drawn up by colonial powers with little regard to cultural realities on the ground.

‘Usno and Berjaya govts took better care of poor’

Umno-Barisan Nasional is a poor match to Usno and Berjaya's native-friendly policies, according to Sabah DAP.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP has conceded that the previous Usno and Berjaya state governments had better and more effective policies which helped alleviate poverty and improve the economic status of the natives in the state.

Cabotage policy keeping Sabahans poor, industries uncompetitive

Written by FMT

Industry players have blamed the 30-year-old cabotage policy for Sabah's high cost of living.

KOTA KINABALU: The unresolved cabotage policy imposed on Sabah (and Sarawak) has been blamed for the high cost of living and soaring prices of good and services in the states.

“In Sabah, the cabotage policy is the reason for the difference between prices of goods and services here and in the peninsula.

Soaring anger over rising prices

FMT Staff

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s aspiration to turn Malaysia into a high-income generating nation may very well be facing its stiffest test in Sabah and Sarawak where soaring prices of basic necessities and low salaries are leaving citizens and NGOs angry and worried.

Sabah’s oil palm sector under virus threat

 Michael Kaung | January 7, 2011 

KOTA KINABALU: The palm oil industry in Sabah is facing a dangerous viral attack which threatens to cripple the sector.

State authorities are tightening quarantine procedures for import of oil palm materials, following the detection of coconut cadang-cadang viroid-like symptoms in oil palm seedlings that were brought in from the Peninsula.

Coconut cadang-cadang viroid (CCCVd) disease, which is considered new in the country, can result in the decline in oil palm fruit yield and end with death of the infected tree.

Increased tax will create ‘new’ poor in Sabah

FMT, January 6, 2011

KOTA KINABALU: The 1% increase in service tax which insidiously crept into the New Year will push middle-class Sabahans lower down the economic ladder and flush the other groups already at the bottom into a new poverty pool.

“The government has conveniently deferred the GST (Goods and Services Tax) issue, but took the liberty to up the service tax by 1% as it figures that the middle and upper classes would not feel the pain,” said a teacher.