MONEY MASTER

THE FLIP-FLOP STORIES ON FOREIGN WORKERS This is becoming a habit as Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister suddenly announced a suspension on the recruitment of migrant workers from all countries, including Bangladesh.  1.5 million Bangladeshi? As of now, hiring is freeze on all foreign workers Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmad Zahid was reportedly saying, "The government has made the decision to freeze the intake of all foreign workers, including those from Bangladesh. And we appeal to all employers to hire locals." The government's announcement was a rather strange one given that it was not long after the news that 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers would be recruited and brought into the country. The sudden change of plan is a strange one indeed but not something new. At best, the flip-flop is likely due to politicians bowing to public pressures. At worst, it shows that our policymakers did not know what they were doing.  Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard R...

MALAYSIA's REVISED BUDGET 2016, GDP FORECAST TO 4% - 4.5% Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak had made the announcement on the recalibrated Budget 2016, to better reflect the current economic climate, given that oil price had dropped to the $30 dollar range. This was in comparison to the $48 USD assumption when the budget 2016 was announced last October. PM Najib Razak on the recalibrated budget 2016 In the revised budget 2016, the 2016 economic growth forecast has been revised to 4%-4.5%, down from an earlier forecast of 4% to 5%. The fiscal deficit target of 3.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) was maintained. Najib announced 11 measures to spur domestic consumption and increase growth, while saving some RM9 billion in operating and development expenditure. One of the highlights of the recalibrated budget is the optional 3% cut to the individual contribution to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) for March 2016 to December 2017. INFLATION RANGING FROM 2.5% to 3...

PETRONAS to cut spending by RM50 bil over 4 years PETRONAS out of gas? Over the week, Wall Street Journal reported that Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) plans to slash as much as 50 billion ringgit ($11.4 billion) in capital and operating expenditure over the next four years, according to an internal memo sent to staff by its chief executive officer. Petronas is the Malaysian government’s biggest source of revenue, covering as much as one third of the annual budget, even after cuts in subsidies and the introduction of new taxes to diversify sources of income.  Petronas confirmed that it had circulated the memo as part of “ongoing efforts to optimize costs to address the impact of the continuous fall in crude oil prices.”  The firm has been hit by a slump in oil prices, which have fallen over 70% over the past 18 months. BANK NEGARA RESERVES FALL TO US$95.1 billion Bank Negara Malaysia's international reserves fell by a marginal 0.21% to US$95.1 billion in the...

In a statement today, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said the decision to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 3.25% was made at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting today. This is in line with analysts' forecasts and with the economy continuing to be affected by the weak external environment. Bank Negara Malaysia keeps key interest rate at 3.25% "At the current level of overnight policy rate (OPR), the stance of monetary policy remains accommodative and supportive of economic activity," it said. "The committee recognises that there are heightened risks in the global economic and financial environment. These risks are being carefully monitored to assess their implications on macroeconomic stability and the prospects of the Malaysian economy," it added. "Domestic demand therefore remains the main driver of growth. However, private consumption is expected to moderate as households continue adjusting to the higher cost of living amidst an...

MALAYSIA WILL ONLY SIGN TPPA IF BENEFICIAL Malaysia will only sign TPPA if beneficial Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said Malaysia will only agree to the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) if the terms are beneficial to the country. "Malaysia will only enter into the TPPA if it is mutually beneficial, on terms that we can agree to," said Wahid. He said that the agreement touches various issues, such as the Bumiputera policy, government procurement and state-owned enterprises. "The text will be finalised over the next 30 days or so. After that, it will be made public and it will go for tabling in parliament," he said. AGC SAY NO TO BANK NEGARA's REQUEST AGC: No offence by 1MDB The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) has decided that no offence was committed by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) based on an investigation paper (IP) by Bank Negara and no further action sh...

BNM International Reserve The Malaysia's BNM International Reserve has dropped again from US $ 96.5 billion in July 31st to US$94.7 billion as at end-August 2015, down 2% or US$2 billion month-on-month to its lowest since July 2010.  The figure reflects a third straight decline on the BNM International Reserve but it was higher than it was in mid August 2015, when it was at just US$94.5 billion. It shows a US$200 million increase from the mid of August low. The central bank has issued a statement, stating that the reserves are sufficient to finance 7.4 months of retained imports and is 1.0 times short-term external debt.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has raised the overnight policy rate (OPR) by 25 basis points to 3.25%. This is the first hike in the OPR since May 2011. The decision was made at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). BNM also released a statement, saying "The floor and ceiling rates of the corridor for the OPR are correspondingly raised to 3.00 percent and 3.50 percent respectively." OVERNIGHT POLICY RATE? WHAT IS THAT? Have you ever wonder what is this OPR that these people are talking? I used to have big difficulty understanding the business and financial vocabulary. In short, OPR is the interest rate at which a bank lends to another bank, which is set by the BNM.  This rate has an effect on the country's employment, economic growth and inflation. Generally, it is an indicator of the health of a country's overall economy and banking system. WHY IS THERE A HIKE? There is a lot of reason for the increase in the OPR but there are a...

As expected, the meeting today had an outcome...Bank Negara Malaysia decided to raise the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) to 3.25%. The 25 basis points increase is the first in 3 years and has been expected by the market. The floor and ceiling rates of the corridor for the OPR has increased to 3% and 3.5% respectively. The Monetary Policy Committee believes that the country economy is going for a steady growth part. As to inflationary pressures, it said inflation has been relatively stable as the effects of the price adjustments for utilities and energy continue to moderate. Demand driven inflation remains contained. “Looking ahead, inflation is, however, expected to remain above its long-run average due to the higher domestic cost factors.” The increased in OPR will eventually effect commercial banks' Base Lending Rate. It will be interesting to see how the effect will impact the household in the country.