Finance and Economy
Last Friday, President Trump declared that the U.S. would slap 25% tariffs on up to US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods. The justification was that the Chinese must be punished for its theft of IP (intellectual property) and other unfair trade practices. Trump warned that his government could impose additional tariffs if China retaliates with duties […]
... written on Jun 19 2018The founder of online retail giant Alibaba is in town. He specifically flew to Malaysia to officially open the company’s first office in Southeast Asia at Bangsar South today. He was also granted an audience with newly inaugurated Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the world’s oldest premier at the advanced age of 93. If time […]
... written on Jun 18 2018When it was revealed that Singapore taxpayers’ money – as much as S$20 million – was burned on the U.S-North Korea summit, not many were impressed. About half of the expenses went to security costs. However, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said – “It is a cost we are willing to pay. It’s our […]
... written on Jun 15 2018Mahathir has announced that the highly controversial and super expensive HSR (high-speed rail) project is being “postponed”, not “cancelled”. Whether that was a U-turn from a 93-year-old man or was a clever strategy remains to be seen. Assuming it is just a postponement, will Singapore insist of having the new Malaysian government pay for the […]
... written on Jun 14 2018President Donald Trump did not appear to be listening during some of the trade presentations in Quebec, Canada. Trade dominated the 2-day summit that began on Friday with leaders of Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy returning to the topic repeatedly – simply because “Trump the Menace” kept making troubles to the powerful nations. […]
... written on Jun 10 2018Donald Trump may sound super-tough as the U.S. positions itself for a trade war with China. However, if numbers are any indicator, the U.S. president appears to be fighting a losing battle against the Chinese. For the first 4 months of 2018, America continues to register huge trade deficit with its rival trading partner. […]
... written on Jun 07 2018Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister-in-waiting, is a changed man. After spending years in jail – twice – for sodomy, he has either become a more humble and wiser man, or a vengeful man who believes the nation owes him the premiership. After being pardoned by the Agong (King), the grateful Anwar spoke highly of the […]
... written on Jun 07 2018Imagine you’ve engaged and awarded a contractor to renovate your office. For some strange reasons, you agreed to pay the contractor according to “calendar dates” instead of the project’s progress. In other words, you had agreed to generously pay even if the contractor does zero work. The job was supposed to be completed in 3 […]
... written on Jun 06 2018The first half of 2018 has been bullish for oil prices. But after touching the US$80 a barrel for the first time since 2014, the commodity is fast losing its steam. The Brent crude oil is trading at about US$74, a drop of about 6 dollars a barrel since its peak. The WTI crude oil […]
... written on Jun 06 2018Global Times, often considered as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, has unleashed its first warning shot at the new government of Malaysia. After 93-year-old Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ditched a planned HSR (high-speed rail) between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, the Chinese media seemed very upset. The mouthpiece cried, whined and bitched that […]
... written on Jun 02 2018
