Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

is former CEO and head of Economics at Penang Institute, fellow in Finance and Financial Reporting at University of Cambridge and associate chartered accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

14 posts

Can Budget 2016 Strengthen Malaysia Against External Economic Headwinds?

5 min read

Budget 2016 has been touted as a people’s budget. We decided to examine if it is capable of weathering external economic headwinds.

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Winners and losers as the Ringgit falls

4 min read

China’s Yuan devaluation prompted a global sell-off in emerging markets’ currencies.China’s Yuan devaluation prompted a global sell-off...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa & Tim Niklas Schoepp

Mind the Chinese Shift in Foreign Exchange Holdings

5 min read

It’s no longer in China’s favor to accumulate foreign exchange reserves. With the country’s announcement of a policy shift on this issue, what does this mean for the global and regional economy, and for us?

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Exporting Grey Matter: What is the Brain Drain Costing Us?

15 min read

Can there really be any benefits to the persistent brain drain out of Malaysia? The numbers seem to say so. But knowledge and skills are intangible commodities that are the basis of innovation – commodities that we are rapidly losing as more and more high-skilled Malaysians emigrate.

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa & Yap Jo-yee

Penang Economic Outlook 2015

4 min read

Malaysia’s domestic environment will become more challenging given the introduction of the GST from April 1, 2015 and the sensitivity of Malaysian households to any interest rate hike due to their high debt levels.

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Should We Fear Death or Longevity?

6 min read

With better healthcare and medical breakthroughs, the life expectancy for humans has almost doubled over the last 60 years. But what does that financially mean, and can it spell disaster for governments with ageing populations?

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Managing Longevity Risk: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

5 min read

Individuals and governments should look harder into managing longevity risk; it is a related but different problem to ageing as it pertains to the risk that actual life spans will exceed expectations for individuals or whole populations.

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

The Crude Dynamics of the Price of Petrol

7 min read

The price of oil dropped threefold within the first 20 days of this year, alongside a Ringgit that sorely depreciated against the US Dollar. With our dependency on oil money, how bad is the situation?

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa & Tim Niklas Schoepp

GST: Tiptoeing into structural deficit

6 min read

The factors behind the present volatility in the currency markets can be categorised into roughly three large themes. Firstly, after years of quantitative easin...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Are 11MP’s Projections Not Too Optimistic?

5 min read

With factors such as a creeping debt service cost and tepid investors, can Malaysia achieve Vision 2020 at the end of the 11th Malaysia Plan?

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Doing Heritage Diplomacy in Europe

5 min read

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was recently in the UK and France as the head of a state delegation to talk about Penang as an economic model and as an intelligent city.

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Preparing for Challenging Times Ahead

8 min read

The external macro environment for 2016 remains challenging for Malaysia. Being a small and open economy, Malaysia – and Penang along with it – is h...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa & Tim Niklas Schoepp