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

In the past year or so, the Malaysian economy has been affected by two main external headwinds: the fall in commodities prices dented the country’s financ...

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

• The external macro environment, in particular the crude oil price, the timing on the start of the rise in US interest rates and its ensuing impact on fin...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

Should we fear death or longevity?

6 min read

According to Chinese tradition, longevity is one of the three important blessings in life, alongside prosperity and happiness. But while longevity is good on an...

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 act...

by Dr. Lim Kim-Hwa

The crude dynamics of the price of petrol

7 min read

We know that Malaysia depends a lot on income from its oil and gas. But exactly how much? Well, a whopping RM73.4bil alone in 2013 was contributed by Petronas,...

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