WSJ Tribute to Lee Kuan Yew

Hey folks,

Please find below, the tribute by The Wall Street Journal to Mr Lee Kuan Yew:-

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, March 24, 2015, page 9

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, March 24, 2015, page 9

Tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Folks,

I know I am late, but I hope that Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew will rest in peace, following his death on March 23, 2015.

You can definitely find so many tributes to him – both good and bad. But the following tribute about Mr Lee is what touches my heart.

I cannot exactly remember where I snap this from, but I believe this is from International New York Times.

Source: [I believe it is from International New York Times]

TMI: Please help me find Ibrahim Ali – A Concerned Citizen

Folks,

I have just to copy this from a writer with The Malaysian Insider.

The original link is here: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/please-help-me-find-ibrahim-ali-a-concerned-citizen

Please find below:

Please help me find Ibrahim Ali – A Concerned Citizen

Dear Sir/Madam,

1. As a concerned citizen, I have been very concerned about the media disappearance of Datuk Ibrahim Ali (DIA) and his sidekick Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman from Isma. They have disappeared from public consciousness since the Great Floods of December 2014.

2. There has been no sight and no sound from the self-declared leader of Malay rights. I am afraid that in his absence, the rights of the Malays will be questioned, gays will overrun this country, and don’t get me started on the Jews.

3. In fact, the press has been talking about how a non-Malay managed to make off with US$700 million of public money. Surely this would have caused DIA and his Economic Dream Team also known as Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM) to awake from their slumber, wave their keris around and demand action to return this allegedly stolen money.

4. Even the patron of Perkasa, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has been very vocal on this issue.

5. But DIA has been silent. I hope that nothing sinister has happened to him. Maybe he has got lost and cannot find his way back.

6. If anybody does find him, please send him to the nearest media outlet so that he can publicly declare Perkasa’s stand on 1MDB.

7. Perkasa has been very silent and can either follow the 154 Umno division chiefs in declaring support for the prime minister or they can follow their patron, Dr Mahathir, and demand answers to the many questions surrounding this scandal. Either way Perkasa must make a stand or else be deemed to be in a "kera sumbang" type existence.

8. But DIA may need some encouragement. DIA is quite brave when facing very small ikan bilis, but loses courage when having to comment on an issue that involves “jerung” and other bigger fish.

Thank You,

Sir Wenger and Other Concerned Citizens. – March 16, 2015.

 

 

Wake-up Call For Toyota?

Folks,

Earlier this month, my colleague Naqib and I worked on a story on Toyota's sales, which has slumped in January.

Below is the story that we have published.

The Edge Financial Daily, Monday, March 2, 2015

A commentary on National Automotive Policy 2014

Folks,

I have been rather quiet – but that is because I was busy with my work.

Below is a good article by a media friend of mine, John Gilbert. He wrote a commentary on the latest version National Automotive Policy (NAP) that was launched in January 2014.

Have a read below, or here (PDF):

The Malaysian Reserve, Monday, March 2, 2015

A rather comprehensive article, I would say.

A tale of Greek's economy, according to The Economist

Folks,

This is an interestintg cartoon from this week's edition (Feb 21, 2015) of The Economist, a London-based weekly newspaper.

Only those who understands economics and the economic as well as political climate at Eurozone -- particularly in Greece -- would get this joke.

Being Chinese in Singapore

Peeps,

Another good read, here. The piece, by the great Tash Aw, was published in the International New York Times.

Muslims, Marriage and Bigotry

Folks,

Have a read at this piece, that was published in the International New York Times.

RHB Asset Management targets its AUM to reach RM58 billion this year.

Folks,

Last week, I attended a new "global equity stabiliser fund" launched by RHB Asset Management Sdn Bhd (RHBAM), in collaboration with Schroder Investment Management in Singapore.

RHBAM CEO Ho Seng Yee targets the fund to clock-in RM200 million in asset under management (AUM) by end of this year.

As at Dec 31, 2014, RHBAM's portolio is:

This year, RHBAM targets its fund to grow to RM58 billion, done through various products that it will launch this year.

Last year, RHBAM's AUM came in at RM48.54 billion, a marginal 2.9% shy of its target of achieving RM49.99 billion that it has set earlier.

Below is my video coverage of this event:



As for opportunities this year, Ho said:

1. Overall, we believe central bank will remain highly accomodative, given fragile and uneven growth path.
2. Government, on the other hand, will remain committed to ensure growth engine to remain intact and hence, fiscal policy will remain expansionary in nature.
3. We still believe that equity is a better asset class, given improving global growth. Meanwhile, bond should serve as a hedge should global macro headwinds persist in 2015. 

Meanwhile, Ho also provided RHBAM analysis of the recent budget revision announcement that Prime Minister Najib Razak made last week. The analysis is presented below, and the copy of the slide is here.

Prasarana expects new light rail vehicle to increase ridership by 40% in 2016

Folks,

Last week, I attended an event hosted by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, the asset owner and operator of light rail transit (LRT) and monorail.

Prasarana is expanding its service line, and it has ordered new light rail vehicles (LRVs) from China-based CSR Zhuzhou. Prasarana has committed a total investment of RM1 billion in channeling towards the purchase of these LRVs.

Prasarana said, it has bought 50 new LRVs, which has 6-car. Of this, 30 LRVs will be manufactured in China, while the remaining 20 LRVs will be manufactured in CSR Zhuzhou's plant in Perak.

The LRvs will be delivered in stages within the next two years. The first LRV was delivered on Jan 10, 2015. Details of Prasarana's LRVs are shown in the slide below. You can download the slides here.



Prasarana currently operates two LRT lines and one monorail lines, that covers a total length of 65km, which consist of 60 stations altogether.

The current ridership at each of its stations are shown in the chart below.

Prasarana is also in the midst of expanding the Ampang and Kelana Jaya lines.

The Ampang line extension will start from Sri Petaling Station and passes through Bukit Jalil, Kinrara, Puchong, and ends at Putra Heights. The extension is 18.1km long with 11 new stations. Combined with the existing line, the total length of Ampang Line after the completion of the LRT Line Extension Project will be 45.1km.

As for the Kelana Jaya extension, it will be from Kelana Jaya to Putra Heights. It will consist of 12 new stations, some of which will be integrated with KTM Komuter at Subang Jaya. Another station will also be integrated with new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at Sunway.

Prasarana's factsheet is shown below. You can download the document here.




With the purchase of the new LRVs, Prasara hopes to increase its ridership by 40% to 750,000 passengers daily, so says the document here (page 3). Of course, this will depend on the delivery of its trains.

Below is my video coverage of the event.

Am I Charlie?

Folks,

Last week, my senior managing editor Azam Aris wrote in his column in The Edge Malaysia, Jan 19, 2015, about a very interesting article titled "Am I Charlie?"

The article is reproduced below, or you can download here in PDF file.

Source: The Edge Malaysia, Jan 19, 2005

Source: The Edge Malaysia, Jan 19, 2005

His piece is in stark contrast to the editor of The Malaysian Insider, the sister publication of The Edge. You can read the article (reproduced below), which was taken from here.

Je Suis Charlie

By Jahabar Sadiq

The Charlie Hebdo massacre yesterday is an assault on journalism and freedom of expression. No one has a right to curtail or censor expression – be it with a government gazette or a gun.

The 12 who were killed yesterday, including four cartoonists and their colleagues from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, were journalists penning their thoughts.

Any reply to such thoughts should not be from the business end of a gun. And if anyone thinks they are avenging or defending their faith or god or prophet by shooting and killing people, they are wrong.

Life does not work that way, no matter what religious scholars say.

Haven't they heard that the pen is mightier than the sword, that no army can stop an idea whose time has come? That an idea is like a virus, resilient and highly contagious?

If the three gunmen thought it would terrorise and end their satire – they got it wrong.
The world now knows more about Charlie Hebdo. The world now knows more that these people who profess to defend their religion cannot argue except by killing their opponents.

Their actions are pure terrorism and murder. If they are confirmed to be Muslims and say it is done in the name of Islam, they are the worst kind of Muslims – the ones who use religion to justify their bloodlust, their hate and their ignorance.

For too long around the world, Muslims have lived with their co-religionists using bullets and bombs to speak for their community and faith. No more.

We can no longer call Islam a religion of peace as long as there are these so-called Muslims who murder and maim, terrorise and tyrannise others for their perverted sense of religiosity.

Not unless we condemn them for their actions. Not unless we say unequivocally that Islam does not condone these acts of terror and murder. That Islam speaks about reason, love, charity and that all life is sacred.

The time has come for us to stand up against these fringe groups who only think that death to their enemies is the only answer to keep Islam or any other religion pure and perfect.

Because they only smear it with their ideas and actions. God needs no defenders, neither does any prophet. Our actions represent our faith, our religion – and not if we kill one another.

My faith is reflected in my journalism, to inform people so that they make informed decisions. Je suis Charlie. – January 8, 2015.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insider.

See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/je-suis-charlie#sthash.QhqKrmXU.dpuf

It all started with the killing of journalists who worked at Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine. This incident gave rise to the hash-tag #JeSuisCharlie, and #JeSuisAhmed, depending on whose school of thought or side of opinion you choose to lean on.

You can learn more about #JeSuisAhmed by reading this piece here and here.

I find this particular tweet to be very interesting.

I am not Charlie, I am Ahmed the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so. #JesuisAhmed
— Dyab Abou Jahjah (@Aboujahjah) January 8, 2015

Advertising Disclaimers - Too Obvious?

Folks,



Thankfully, ridiculous practice such as this is still pretty much absent in Malaysia.

We do not need to be told what is "too obvious!"

The Reign of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah

Folks, I find this video interesting! A news coverage and a tribute to the late Saudi Arabia's king.



 الفاتحة

OCBC Bank economist trims Malaysia's economic growth to 4.8%

Folks,

Last week, I attended an economic outlook by a rather smart and intelligent economist from OCBC Bank, named Wellian Wiranto. He is an Indonesian, so I was told.

OCBC Bank Economist, Wellian Wiranto

Wellian's full press statement can be read here.

Last week, Wellian issued a "Malaysia Monitor" report on the latest development in Malaysia's economy. His report, which is embedded below, can be downloaded here.



During his presentation at InterContinental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, the confident Wellian told reporters that he has slashed Malaysia's economic forecast this year to 4.8% from 5.1% previously.

This is to "to reflect the effects of fiscal consolidation efforts as well as cutbacks in business investment activities."

He also said that there is a likelihood that the Bank Negara Malaysia will increase the interest rate by another 25 basis points.

This is despite assurance from Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, which was reported as saying last week that the current level of interest rate is accommodative.

What that would mean is anyone's guess.

The last time Bank Negara Malaysia increased the rate was in July 2014. You can read the statement here.

Below is my video coverage:

Tabung Haji declares a total of 8.25% bonus

Folks,

Last week, pilgrim fund Lembaga Tabung Haji announced a record total bonus of 8.25% to its depositors, which consist of 6.25% in annual bonus and 2% in Hajj bonus.

You can read here for further details. The bonus will be credited beginning Monday, Jan 26, 2015.

The Hajj bonus is applicable to those having an account balance of RM9,830 or below.

The pilgrim fund also announced its stellar earnings, to be honest. If you want a historical earnings record, you may refer to its annual reports, which is available here.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2014 (FY14), Tabung Haji registered a record net profit of RM3.3 billion from RM2.61 billion a year ago.

The chart below shows Tabung Haji's total bonus declared since 2006.

Below is Tabung Haji's total income from various of its operations.

Here is my video coverage:

MAA: TIV to grow 2% to 680,000 units this year

Folks,

Few days ago, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) released the total vehicle sales - also known as total industry volume (TIV) - for the full year 2014. You can download the document here.

Last year, the TIV grew 1.6%, but fell short of 2% or 13,535 units below its target of 680,000 units. The historical data of the TIV is presented below.

Year	TIV	Passenger Vehicle	Commercial Vehicle
2005	552,316	503,712	48,604
2006	490,768	446,172	44,596
2007	487,176	442,885	44,291
2008	548,115	497,459	50,656
2009	536,905	486,342	50,563
2010	605,156	543,594	61,562
2011	600,123	535,113	65,010
2012	627,753	552,189	75,564
2013	655,793	576,657	79,136
2014	666,465	588,341	78,124
2015F	680,000	600,700	79,300
2016F	694,280	613,780	80,500
2017F	709,554	627,554	82,000
2018F	725,874	641,874	84,000
2019F	743,295	657,295	86,000

Source: MAA

Visually, the TIV looks like this:

According to MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad, the government - in its National Automotive Policy (read it here and also here) - may not be able to meet its target of achieving a TIV of one million units by 2020.

She said during the press conference that the target was "ambitious". This is true as well, given the fact that MAA in its forecast said that the TIV in 2019 - a year before 2020 - will only hover at around 743,295.

As for the implementation of goods and services tax (GST), Aishah is keeping a tight lip on whether the car price will increase or not. She said that under current regulations, car makers or dealers can only claim 20% from the 10% sales and services tax imposed from the government. The remaining 80% will be borne by them.

She added that the industry is unsure on the tax mechanism that will be imposed to the dealers and car manufacturers, and the government has yet to issue a full directive.

On cash-for-clunkers, Aishah said that there are many questions that has yet to be answered, before the system can be implemented

Last week, Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh echoed the same view. Aminar Rashid asked: who will bear the cost? what is the suitable age for the cars to be disposed? how will the scrappage mechanism works?

For the uninitiated, the cash-for-clunkers, also known as the car rebate system, is an economic incentives provided to those having cars aged 10 years or more to be scrapped and exchange for a new one.

Earlier this month, Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) CEO Madani Sahari said that the TIV this year may grow to 700,000 units if the government implements the cash-for-clunkers systems. (Read here for details).

Madani explained to reporters that it is in advance discussion with the government to implement the system by March this year. As for the cost, he said that it will be equally shared by the government and car makers of RM2,500 each, making the rebate cost RM5,000.

However, Aishah said its members have not agreed to anything at this stage, and discussions are still on-going.

Anyhow, the government - via Ministry of International Trade and Industry - is expected to announce the progress of the NAP 2014 on January 29. Perhaps, I should ask the minister on his thought.

Anyway, below is my coverage of MAA, which was done in the form of a video:

The collapse of mega-merge proposal

Folks,

The proposal to create the largest bank conventional bank and mega Islamic bank in Malaysia, and the fourth largest bank in South East Asia collapsed two days ago.

I am personally sad to hear this, as I think that Malaysia needs a much more bigger bank to compete globally. But of course, other factors must also be considered as well.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, RHB Capital said (click here):

On behalf of RHB Capital, RHB Investment Bank Berhad wishes to announce the Company has been notified by CIMB Group vide its letter dated 14 January 2015 that its board of directors have, after further deliberation, arrived at a decision to abort the Proposed Merger in light of current economic conditions. CIMB Group and RHB Capital, as well as their relevant subsidiaries, have withdrawn their joint application to BNM to seek approval from BNM and/or the MoF through BNM for, amongst others, the Proposed Merger. With that, the Exclusivity Period pursuant to the exclusivity agreement between CIMB Group, RHB Capital and MBSB dated 10 July 2014 has expired.

There is also a joint press release, which can be read here.

And yesterday, CIMB Research published a rather lengthy analysis  on this matter. You can read it below, and get the PDF copy here.

There is also another research report by Kenanga Research (read here), and MIDF Research (read here). But so far, CIMB has the best analysis, in my opinion.

I guess, the banks will now focus on their day-to-day activities. But it may also be a precursor to other banks (such as Malayan Banking Bhd or Maybank) to embark on consolidation exercise.

Subsidy Rationalisation Measures

Folks,

I know this is a bit late to post of subsidy rationalization measure, but it is better than never, right?

Alright.

Both countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, have embarked on subsidy rationalisation measure.

As for Malaysia, the government has moved to set the prices of petrol and diesel from automatic pricing mechanism to a managed-float system.

According to Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek, the petrol and diesel prices will be reviewed monthly, in which the average cost of petroleum products from the previous month will be used as reference in determining the price for the following month.

The result of the managed-float implementation had seen the current price of petrol drops by 35 sen for petrol and 30 sen for diesel.

It is worth noting that the World Bank had in its latest “Malaysia Economic Monitor” report said that the removal of fuel subsidies will help the government to save an estimated of between RM10 billion and 12 billion in 2015.
You can view the press release – in Malay – here (in PDF), and also below.




As for Indonesia, its president – Joko Widodo (Jokowi) – came under fire from its own citizens for raising the price of fuel.

But I think he is taking a good step to reform subsidy measures, and let the market forces dictate the price. Reform in Indonesia, as well as in Malaysia, is progressing, albeit at relatively steady (or slow?) pace.

Let's read the article reported by the Wall Street Journal below.

I have converted it to the PDF version, here.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Friday-Sunday edition, Jan 2-4, 2015

The Nihilism of Radical Islam

Folks,

This is also another good article on radical Islam and extremism, which appeared in The International New York Times.

The article, enttiled "The Nihilism of Radical Islam" was written by Kenan Malik.

It is a good read on the rising radical Islam, which really, is a shame to my religion.

The online version of the article can be read here.

But here is the scanner version, to those paper lovers.

Source: The International New York Times, Monday, January 5, 2015.

Creating a New You -- by Ruth Chang

Folks,

I recently came across quite an interesting article in The International New York Times.

The article, entitled "Creating a New You" was written by Ruth Chang, a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, US.

The article is really inspiring. The online version of the article is here.

Apparently, Ruth also has a TED talk. You can watch below:




Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/ruth_chang_how_to_make_hard_choices

I have also scanned the article, which appears below. The PDF version of the article is here.

Source: International New York Times

Enjoy!

A tribute to Apple's Steve Jobs

Folks,

Below is an article written by my colleague, Meena Lakshana Ramadas, sometimes in 2014.

The copy below was unedited. Of course, what was published in the next day was an extremely edited version; and in my personal opinion, did not do her justice.

I am extremely fond of her piece – it was finely written, and I am now sharing it with you for your own reading. Enjoy!

Note: please credit my friend Meena Lakshana if you would like to quote from the piece of work shown below.

Wozniak: Apple will always be under Jobs's shadow and rightfully so.

By Meena Lakshana

In the rose-tinted days of the 1970s, a passionate college student met a high-school student in sun-drenched California before both founded the monolith that is now known as Apple.

Steve Wozniak, a Hewlett Packard employee at the time, saw the same essence radiating from Steve Jobs, a compelling wordsmith that could set imaginations ablaze.

Both were young, free-spirited with a kooky sense of humour (both had a penchant for pranks) but little did they know, their passion for electronics and making a difference in the world would revolutionise the way in which humans communicate and absorb information.
Wozniak, now no longer with Apple, paid homage to Jobs, saying the world could not have been luckier to have him during his rather short life.

Jobs passed away in 2011 after battling cancer for years. 

"The world is so lucky to have somebody like that to run a company like Apple and set so many good directions," he said while speaking at the Leadership Energy Summit Asia 2014 here.

"His (Jobs) little fine-tuning made a huge difference in the quality of products.
"He understands a lot of things at a higher level-what's going on, what a product means than what its specifications are," said Wozniak.

However, Wozniak said Jobs did not immediately turn out to be the success that he was, saying there were many failures that Jobs experienced before reaching the zenith of success.

"He had failure, failure, failure executing so he probably would have had failure without that great product," said Wozniak, referring to the company's pioneer products such as the successful Apple II. 

In that way, Wozniak said he was an integral part of Apple the way Jobs were.
"We both needed each other," he added. 

Wozniak himself is a kind of wunderkid, designing computer systems at 11 years old when most adolescents were satisfied by "talking about girls and drugs."

His father, an engineer, encouraged his son's pursuits, providing transistors and other materials for Wozniak to experiment with.

Wozniak also counted influential, inspiring teachers in school who pushed him to pursue his passion.

Wozniak said Apple would continue to live in the shadows of Jobs and rightfully so.
"Yes thankfully, we're in the shadow of Steve Jobs and we believe that we'll be there forever," said Wozniak.

"He's the leader that Apple aspires to be," he added.

He said the future is not bleak for Apple, despite certain analysts' prediction that the company has hit a plateau in the innovation department, saying the company's recent unveiling of the iOS8, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 and venturing into mobile payments indicate a promising future.

However, he conceded that Apple was a tad late by hopping on the larger screen bandwagon, and should have released phones with the feature three years ago.

"That's ridiculous. A lot of people say Apple is not innovative, they are just improving products, they are not making big strides in the world like other companies such as Samsung," he said.

"But you have to wait a couple of years until the pipeline that was associated with (Jobs) is through before the new management can be judged," he added.

Wozniak said the next frontier for technological advancement is Artificial Intelligence (AI), the humanising of machines, with companies like Google, IBM and Microsoft already ahead of the curve.

He said the social ramifications-the increasing intrusion of technology into our private spheres-is inevitable and should not be viewed negatively, but merely a sign of evolving human interaction over mediums.

"How do we make machines more like a human friend? Like it knows my heart and soul. It cares about me," he said.

"It knows me better than my human friends, so get out of my life humans. It's already happening," he added.

He also said smartphones and tablets will continue to shape human interaction, and it will only get more personal over smaller devices.

However, Wozniak was cautious about the viability of wearable gadgets, saying its notable feature was also its downfall.

"When I wear the little iPod nano watch, I think this would be a great smartphone but the first ones have turned me off and I'm not sure that the small screen is going to satisfy me," he added. 

Having built a legacy of being the co-founder of Apple, does Wozniak have any regrets?
No, he said, adding he believes that life is too short and precious to worry on things that should have been.

"I came up with this formula for happiness in my 20s and its Happiness equals more smiles minus frowns," he said. 

"Try to do things that make you smile, have a lot of good fun and entertainment.
"I am not going to have frowns," he added.

END

Perodua eyes 6.3% growth this year

Folks,

Yesterday, I attended the launch of the new Perodua Myvi, as well as presentation on Perodua's performance in 2014 by its president and chief executive officer Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh.

(L-R) Perodua President & CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh, Perodua Chairman Tan Sri Asmat kamaludin , Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd President Yasumitsu Morita and Perodua ED Zainal Abidin Ahmad at the launch of the New Perodua Myvi Facelift. // Photo by: Suhaimi Yusuf  © The Edge 

The news that I wrote was published by my newspaper today. You can find the article below:

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Friday, Jan 16, 2015

During the presentation, Perodua CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid revealed the group's sales performance between 2012 and 2014. This is presented below:

Perodua Sales Performance between 2012 and 2014

As for this year's key performance indicator, Perodua has provided the following guidance:

Source: Perodua

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia registers sales jump of 16.5% in 2014

Folks,

Today, I attended a media briefing by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn Bhd by its president and chief executive officer (pictured below) on its sales performance in 2014.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia
President and Chief Executive Officer
Roland S. Folger

Overall, the group recorded a 16.5% sales increase in 2014 to 9,419 units from 8,082 units in 2013, driven by strong sales in the fourth quarter of 2014 (4Q14) which jumped by 46%.

Globally, 1.65 million Mercedes-Benz cars was sold in 2014, a 12.9% jump from 1.46 million registered in 2013, on

The presentation slide by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is shown below. Click here to download the presentation slide.

Meanwhile, the press release for the global sales performance of Mercedes-Benz cars is here.



Below is the story that my newspaper has published:

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Thursday, Jan 15, 2015

Mesiniaga to return to profitability in FY15

Friends,

Last year, I interviewed the managing director (MD) of Mesiniaga Bhd, an information technology firm.

Mesiniaga MD Fitri was appointed to the position in early 2014, and the turnaround results have yet to bear fruit.

Among the issues that we discussed include the group's profitability, orderbook and strategy in 2015. Notably, Fitri said Mesiniaga is making a foray to provide services to the telecommunication companies. He said that this is a high-margin business.

The shareholders should give him reasonable time, as turning around the company is not easy.

I would say that it will take between one and three years for the results of the turnaround strategy to be seen. I wish Fitri well in his endeavour.

Please find the article below.

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Dec 1, 2014

Dancomech to list in 2Q15

Folks,

This was another article that I have published way back on Monday, Dec 22, 2014.

The company is called Dancomech Holdings Bhd, which supplies process control equipment and measurement instruments.
The company is seeking to list in Bursa Malaysia by the second quarter of this year (2Q15).

It is a family-business company, headed by Daniel Aik; and the company that has entered the second generation of management.

The directors are show below:

Dancomech directors: (L-R) Margaret Aik, Johnson Aik, Daniel Aik and Kelvin Wong

According to my calculation, the company is expected to issue its share price at some 84 sen per share, assuming nine-times earnings.

Please find the article below:

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Dec 22, 2014

National carmakers to maintain market share

Folks,

On Wednesday (Jan 7, 2015), I attended a media briefing by Frost & Sullivan, a consulting firm, on the outlook of the automotive sector.

During the briefing, the consulting firm said that vehicle sales – also known as total industry volume (TIV) – is expected to rise by 3.15% to 685,950 units this year, based on new models launched at competitive price. (click here to download the presentation slide in PDF format)

Frost & Sullivan also said that the national carmakers – Proton and Perodua – are expected to maintain their market share this year. If you look at their market share, it has eroded from 51.1% in 2013 to 46.8% in 2014. The table below summarizes the finding by think-tank Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI):

Automaker	TIV in 2014	Market Share in 2014	Market Share in 2013
Proton	195,000	29.4%	29.9%
Perodua	115,000	17.4%	21.2%
Total	310,000	46.8%	51.1%

Source: MAI

And yesterday (Jan 12, 2015), the Government-backed MAI also mentioned a bullish TIV projection of 5.1% to 700,000 this year.

CEO Madani Sahari said, if the government implements a rebate system – known as clash for clunkers – then the TIV may rise by 10% to 770,000 units.

On the performance for 2014, data tracked by MAI – which is sourced from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) – revealed that the TIV in 2014 marched 1.4% to 665,675 units, from 655,793 units in 2013.

If you study the performance in 2014, the actual TIV fell short of the earlier target. One analyst estimates that this year's TIV is expected to contract, instead of expand, by 3% to 650,000.

I wonder whether the bullish projections is achievable this year, given gloomy economic outlook and expected inflationary pressures, stemming from the upcoming implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) by April 1.

The stories that I have written for this is shown below.

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Thursday, Jan 8, 2015

Source: The Edge Financial Daily, Tuesday, Jan 13, 2015