Impact of Trump's return on Malaysia

The elephant in the room is the possibility of Donald Trump returning to White House. He anticipate Trump to renew trade war against China and there will be a massive wave of relocation that will benefit Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.  

However, there is a contrarian view by the ANZ banking group. Malaysia is said to be the most vulnerable. Trump's second term is expected to be more isolationist, inward in foreign policy, and trade policy against China will be more prohibitive. 

Quoting from Edge report below:

Justification for M'sia-Thai cooperation for Kra Landbridge

Of late, the Panama Canal is running dry and water is at critically low level for the waterway to operate. The lack of rain due to the El Nino phenomenon has resulted in the second driest season in the canal's 110 year history. [read BBC here]. 

According to IMF blog, Panama Canal saw trade fell by 32% in the early part of 2024. Larger still is Suez Canal, by 50%. Since late December 2023, Suez Canal and Red Sea are under threat. Houthi rebels from Yemen attacked ships in response Israel's bombardment of Gaza and so-called retaliation to Hamas rocket attacks. 

Ships were diverted through the Cape of Good Hope and it added 6,000 nautical miles to journey. Situation may worsen with Israel seemed destined to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon and the possible confrontation with Iran. 

If that is not problematic enough for international trade, the Straits of Melaka recently faced a massive congestion.  

Is Black Monday 2024 over?

Come August till October, it is usually the time of the year crashes were to happen. ....

By the look of it, the global financial market is entering the witching period of the year. There was a sell-off on Wall Street last week arising from a poor job data which indicate recession is coming in.  

Extract from The Guardian last Friday, below:

The US labor market cooled significantly last month as unemployment unexpectedly rose, sparking fears of a slowdown across the world’s largest economy.

American employers added 114,000 jobs in July – short of the 180,000 additions expected by economists, and a marked decrease from the 179,000 added in June.

The headline unemployment increased to 4.3%, its highest level since October 2021, up from 4.1% the previous month.

Wall Street fell sharply following the official release. The S&P 500 declined 1.8% to a two-month low, as the technology-focused Nasdaq fell 2.4% and entered “correction” territory, having retreated 10% from the record high it scaled last month.

Reforming the audit system

Its about her (Wan Suraya) tasking "to transform and restructure the auditing system and strengthen the country's financial management".

In last year's report for 2022, she commented that there was an improvement in financial position from 2021 despite increasing national debt and liabilities and recommended strengthening public financial discipline. 

But she highlighted the glaring wastage of RM122 billion recurring annually. The public sector had serious issue. Had not for the wastage, the almost RM80 billion annual subsidy could still be provided to the rakyat. 

Thus, don't blame the ruling party - past and present.      

Malaysia's GOP need a reality check

In the early part of this season of annual UMNO Divisional meetings, voices have emerged to demand that UMNO break-out from the Unity Government. It came from groups within UMNO exploiting PH's colossal lost at the Sungai Bakap by-election. 

Among the voices are the faction aligned to the 11 BN MPs that signed the SDs after the 15th General Election to support Tan Sri Muhyiddin form a marginal majority government akin to the Perikatan Nasional government of 2020-22.   

There is also voices expressing the reluctance of grassroot members to accept the current political reality of a Unity Government. 

This segment of UMNO members either could not cope with the sentiment of being in a coalition with DAP and ridiculed as UMDAP or unable to accept Anwar Ibrahim, UMNO's former political enemy as Prime Minister. It is partly attributed to peer pressure from former UMNO members, who migrated to PN. 

And it is also partly in-denial of the party's present predicament. They initially digested the party's explanation that the Unity Government was to respect the request of the Yang Di Pertuan Agong, but could not come to term with the party's decline in fortune. 

The revival of the Teoh Beng Hock case

Cynical of Lim Kit Siang and DAP's attitude of excessive politicizing of the death, this blogger was initially defensive of MACC. However, there was a change of mind following Government DNA expert, Dr Seah Lay Hong revelation to the Coroner of Beng Hock's snapped belt in the August 9th 2009 Inquest on the cause of death. 

Enquiries made with certain sources went silent.

In her 3 parts series on the untold story of Beng Hock, the former Research Officer to the Selangor MB, Tricia Yoh mentioned the name of Dato Seri Hishamuddin Hashim, the then Deputy of MACC Selangor in the final part. 

At the time of writing in July 2017. he was promoted to Director of Special Operations Division or  seldom referred to as B.O.K. in MACC. 

He is now the current Senior Director of Investigation of MACC and the gossip at the courts are saying his IOs threatened a suspect by claiming involvement in Teoh Beng Hock interrogation.   

RCS Edin exposed false claims of PP proponents

Bo-Su-Lynn revealed in yesterday's report HERE that RCS Edin "never guaranteed" PP program for CTS for UK specialist registration. In other words GMC did not recognised PP. 

This proves Dr Rafidah Abdullah and Dr Hanafiah Harunarashid may have lied in their early June claim that two of the trainees got a job abroad, presumably as CTS specialist. Perhaps, a police report should be made against Rafidah for her false claim and abusing her position to lie to the public. 

At the end of March, the MP for Kuching, Dr Kevin Yii claimed seven practising CTS have RCS Edin qualification to push the argument against MMC for inappropriately rejecting the PP graduates which have their diploma issued by RCS Edin.    

He was speaking in concert with Senator Dr RA Lingeswaran from DAP Penang to apply political pressure on MMC to break the law and recognise PP.