Fintech: A New Frontier in Finance
10 min read
In the world of finance, there is a consensus that technology-driven change is inevitable, and that it brings with it massive potential for disruption.[1] Cen...
The strange rise and sudden fall of the Chinese stock market
6 min read
At the end of 2014, China had a very normal stock market1. Measured by the size of the stock market, China’s market capitalisation of US$4tril, close to 4...
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...
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.
Penang's Economic Fate: A Tale of Three Cities
9 min read
Singapore and Hong Kong were British colonies that had similarities in economic structures and institutions. They are island states that have almost no agriculture, with comparable per capita incomes in 1960 and 1990, suggesting that economic growth was about the same rates.
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.
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.
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?
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...
Moving beyond manufacturing
7 min read
AS A MAJOR manufacturing country, Malaysia is necessarily a huge market for many imported commodities. It is important to clearly identify the more expensive imported commodities in order to reduce Malaysia's dependence on imports.
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.
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...