Chan Huan Chiang - Penang Monthly

Is Fiscal Federalism the Answer?

3 min read

Localising parliamentary debate and resource allocation could better reflect regional needs, empower state legislators, and diversify Malaysia’s governance beyond a centralised system.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Building Today For Tomorrow

3 min read

The Belleview Group was founded in Penang in 1984. Since its inception, the Group has established an unassailable reputation as a leading developer.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Think People, Not Place

15 min read

Comparing the wealth of nations, given how quickly fortunes can change nowadays, keeps armies of statisticians, economists and bureaucrats busy throughout the year.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Thinking of Investing in Properties?

5 min read

But is investing in property all that rewarding relative to risks and hidden costs? One has to ask if there is really a boom and bust phenomenon in the properties market.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Capital Movements and Penang’s Manufacturing Sector

11 min read

Business news in the past few months has highlighted concerns about capital flight, but the direction of capital movement being experienced has been taken into account, as a contingency, as part of a monetary policy designed and adopted by Bank Negara Malaysia.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Much Has Changed, But Much Remains The Same

9 min read

Has Malaysia truly become a tertiary stage services economy, after evolving from a primary stage economy in the 1950s and 1960s to a manufacturing based economy in the 1970s?

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Unravelling the figures

8 min read

The Bank Negara (Penang branch) building on Light Street.Official numbers for the Malaysian economy are released twice every year, in March by Bank Negara...

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Penang's Place in the 10mp

9 min read

The 10th Malaysia Plan is now announced. Analysts have generally found it wanting in detailed information. More importantly, it marks a break from the past with its greater focus on corridor development.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Buses bring economic benefits

10 min read

It is not customary for Malaysians to see cost and benefit reports for public investments, even though fiscal spending on development projects has gone on for decades under Malaysia’s five-year plans.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

A matrix to predict Penang’s population distribution

9 min read

There is a policy document, I am told, that says 40% of Penangites shall, in the near future, be living on the island and the other 60%, on the mainland. One...

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

Structural changes needed in the way we use our human resource

10 min read

Market sensitive labour demand is a skills gap When 2009 rolled in there were genuine concerns over the impending retraction of Malaysia's economy. Jobs, especially in Penang, were closely tied with manufactured exports which...

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang

The State of The Economy

10 min read

The 2011 Budget signals troubling reliance on private growth. Without economic decentralisation and public sector expansion, Malaysia risks stalling in the middle-income trap.

by Chan Huan Chiang

Chan Huan Chiang