BELANJAWAN 2001:

Tarikh akan dibentangkan: 27/10/2000

Menurut pakar, kerajaan perlu menjanakan kuasa beli pengguna, kerana ia merupakan separuh dari GNP. Oleh itu dijangka pegawai kerajaan akan diberi bonus. Menurut MIA, ekonomi Malaysia sudah pulih (Hmmm... tetapi Mahathir masih belum berundur sebagaimana janji hipokritnya)

Inflasi:

Jaminan kerajaan agar harga barangan tidak dinaikkan angkara kenaikkan harga minyak nampaknya sudah rapuh walau pun belum mencecah usia sebulan.

Malah MAS lebih awal menaikkan tambang KL-Chennai dari RM1,265 kepada RM1,550 sejak Sep 15 lagi. Semalam agen tiket MAS sudahpun menerima senarai harga baru dimana kos meningkat antara 10 hingga 30% banyaknya.

NewYork RM 2,951 (naik RM 476)
Los Angeles RM 2,747 (naik RM 397)
Shanghai RM 1,515 (naik RM 185)

Yang menarik dikatakan Syarikat Penerbangan SIA juga akan menaikkan harga. Malangnya akhbar gagal untuk membanding MAS dan SIA dengan se pasang mata - Malaysia mempunyai telaga minyak sendiri dan memang mengekspotnya ke Singapura!

PULIH ATAU BELUM

Menurut MIA lagi, FDI mengecut kepada 28.4% kepada RM9 bilion tahun lepas. Cadangan Modal Pelaburan (Proposed Capital Investment) pula susut 73.2%. MIA turut menyebut lapuran Global Competitiveness Report, dimana Malaysia mendapat nombor 16 tahun lepas.

Yang saya hairan kenapa dia tidak menyebut lapuran Global Competitiveness Report tahun ini, iaitu sudah nombor 25! (semakin teruk) Bayangkan pada tahun 1997, Malaysia dapat nombor 9. (masa Anwar)

Masalah hartanah tidak terjual masih kronik: Rumah kediaman tidak laku sahaja bernilai RM 6.31 billion daripada jumlah besar RM 8.82 billion yang termasuk komersil dan industri.

Agaknya sebab itulah Rafidah Aziz terpaksa mengembara keluar negara lagi? Baru saja "pening lalat" di Amerika kerana sambutan hambar dan kena "backjab" reformasi, kini dia akan bertolak ke benua Eropah pula pada 11/10 hingga 19/10.

Perlu diingat kekuatan negara masih lagi pada ekspot minyak dan barangan kilang, khususnya elektronik. Tetapi harga minyak tidak selalunya akan naik dan ekspot elektronik amat bergantung kepada kos tenaga buruh dan kecekapan. Kini negara cina dan Vietnam kelihatan begitu mengancam..... agaknya sebab itulah terpaksa menteri keluar negara siap dengan pancaragam - MIDA, MATRADE, MDC dll.

YANG SEORANG INI MEMANG BELUM PULIH

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/general/ge1110_28.htm

Lapuran Bernama di atas menyebut:

"MAYC president Tan Sri Sanusi Junid yesterday said he planned to sack secretary-general Sheikh Badar Sheikh Embong for "damaging actions" in announcing that he (Sanusi) had not filed his nomination papers to contest the president's post.

Sheikh Badar earlier announced that Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had won the post uncontested after Sanusi failed to submit his nomination ppaers before the Sept 20 closing date." -- BERNAMA

Terjemahan:

Presiden MAYC, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid semalam berkata beliau bercadang untuk memecat s/u agung Sheikh Badar Sheikh Embong kerana "aksi merosak" ketika mengumumkan beliau (Sanusi) tidak mengisi borang pencalunan untuk bertanding jawatan presiden.

Sheikh Badar sebelum ini mengumumkan Menteri Luar, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar telah memenangi kerusi president tanp bertanding kerana Sanusi gagal menghantar borang pencalunan sebelum tarikh tutup pada 20 Sep.

Nampak sangat bekas kaki pukul perkerja KLIA ini cuba mempersalahkan orang lain lantaran kealpaan diri sendiri...

VIDEO GAME DAN SIBER KAFE

Terdapat kebimbangan oleh usahawan cybercafe akan kemungkinan lesen mereka ditarik balik dengan alasan perjudian juga boleh hidup dikedai mereka....

Ini berikutan kenyataan Timb. Menteri Tenaga, Komuikasi dan Multimedia, Tan Chai Ho, yang melahirkan rasa bimbang kafe siber mungkin menjadi sasaran seterusnya jika ada aktiviti perjudian di sana.

Thursday, October 12 6:47 PM SGT

Malaysia Sends Trade Team to Europe

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 Asia Pulse - Minister of International Trade and Industry Rafidah Aziz will lead a trade and investment mission to the Netherlands, France and Germany from Oct 11 to 19.

In conjunction with the visit, seminars on "Malaysia: Your Profit Centre in Asia" would be held in Amsterdam (Netherlands) on Oct 12, Lyon (France) on Oct 16 and Berlin (Germany) on Oct 18, the ministry said in a statement released Thursday.

Business meetings have also been arranged between members of the Malaysian delegation and their counterparts in each of the three cities.

The 38-member mission would comprise 24 private sector members from 24 companies.

The mission will also include officials from the state government of Selangor and Kedah, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Multimedia Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDC) and representatives from the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs).

The mission aims to attract investments from Europe to Malaysia, further enhance bilateral trade relations and also update the European business community in the three countries on Malaysia's current economic progress and on the various measures undertaken to strengthen its economy.

In addition, the mission also seeks to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination and a centre for the Meeting Incentive Convention and Exhibition (MICE).

The ministry said the three countries were chosen because they were Malaysia's major export markets in Europe and also for their expertise in certain technologies.

The Netherlands has significant advantage in high technology industries like in chemical and petrochemical products, while Germany is advanced in electrical engineering, chemical & chemical product and automotive components.

France is recognised for its advanced food processing and agricultural-based industries.

BERNAMA

Another expansionary Budget in store?

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/business/bu1110_20.htm

October 11 , 2000 18:27PM

ANOTHER EXPANSIONARY BUDGET IN STORE? by Yong Soo Heong

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- With the 2001 Budget to be presented about a fortnight away, Malaysians are bracing for the possibility of another "people-friendly" budget.

In other words, a budget that's not burdensome, especially when the country has just found its feet to stride confidently from the last recession of two years ago.

To be unveiled by finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin on Oct 27, the thrust of the next year's budgetary policies are likely to be on accelerating the country's economic growth, enhancing competitiveness and improving the quality of life.

Most analysts and commentators feel that with the increased crude oil prices and with Malaysia being a net exporter of the precious commodity in these times, the government would be in a better position to spend more on key infrastructure development and vital services like education and health, and forego some taxes.

This could mean a deficit budget, although slightly, as increased government expenditure would provide the necessary stimuli for continued economic growth.

A vital area of interest is whether the government will come up with a package of incentives to encourage private spending as well, especially when this accounts for almost half of the gross national product (GNP).

In line with the government's strategy of ensuring strong consumer spending, some optimistic civil servants are entertaining hopes of a bonus payout.

But given the potential inflationary effect of such a windfall and the recent hike in petroleum product prices, the government may be weighing this matter with extreme caution.

On the other hand, the government, which has always pursued pro-business strategies, is again expected to continue its investor-oriented and expansionary Budget for next year's development road map.

Prior to formulating the budget, the finance ministry had asked various industry and interest groups for their views on how the country's 2001 financial and development blueprint should be.

A lot of incentives and grants had been requested and a myriad of views aired on how to move the country forward. This is being taken into account by the Treasury which is now in the final lap of preparing the budget.

But what is in store in terms of development expenditure, tax cuts, higher taxes and incentives remain to be seen.

Yong Poh Chye, a tax consultant, has hazarded a guess: he thinks the government may lower the corporate tax to 27 percent from the present 28 percent to spur local and foreign investment and sustain the growth momentum.

And he feels that the top scale rate for personal income tax could come down to 28 percent from the present 29 percent.

The Malaysian Institute of Accountants says that lowering the corporate tax would enhance Malaysia's competitiveness. In last year's Global Competitiveness Report, Malaysia ranked 16th.

The country's competitiveness, it reckons, is crucial at this juncture as many other nations are competing intensely for limited global funds or investments.

The MIA says that while Malaysia's economy has recovered from from the regional financial crisis, foreign direct investment (FDI) has dwindled by 28.4 percent to slightly over RM9 billion last year. In addition, there was a 73.2 percent overall drop in proposed capital investment.

Yong, whose company, Tax Advisory and Management Services Sdn Bhd (TAMS), will be hold a seminar on the 2001 Budget at the Melia Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 31, also thinks the government may consider increasing personal relief for the Employees Provident Fund and insurance premiums to RM7,000 each from RM5,000 now for both husband and wife.

Additionally, he thinks that tax deductions on premiums for annuity schemes purchase through the EPF annuity scheme may be raised to RM2,000 from RM1,000 to encourage more people to buy annuities. Annuities are usually run by insurance companies which provide periodical payments to subscribers as a form of retirement benefit.

Another area of interest is the property sector. There have been calls for the real property gains tax to be scaled down to stimulate the property market. At present, the RPGT is taxed from zero to 30 percent, depending on the time of disposal.

Up till the end of June this year, the value of unsold residential units totalled RM6.31 billion out of a total overhang of RM8.82 billion, including commercial and industrial properties.

There are also suggestions that companies should be able to reward their employees who perform well but had been hampered by a restriction imposed by the government in 1998 because of the financial crisis. The government then capped bonus payments to two months.

But some feel that the time has come for the restriction to be lifted because a higher bonus payout can generate multipier effects on the domestic economy.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/dailynews/story/0,2000010021,20077802-1,00.htm

Leave us out of ban, say cybercafe owners

By Julian Matthews
10 October 2000

The Malaysian government outlawed all video game arcades last week and may now be gunning for cybercafes.

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian authorities' sudden decision last week to ban all video game arcades has cybercafe owners worried.

Net Surfing Zone cybercafe owner Lim Kah Hai appealed to the government not to extend the ban to cybercafes. "They should leave us out of it. The games we offer in cybercafes are totally different from video game arcades."

Lim, who runs two cybercafes in Ipoh, said most cybercafe owners run "clean" businesses and should not be lumped together with video arcade operators. "The illegal video arcades run machines solely for gambling. They make tons of money and have no interest in the Internet."

Lim was among various cybercafe owners who expressed fears that authorities may target them as well and extend the arcade ban to encompass cybercafes.

On Saturday, Energy, Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Tan Chai Ho fueled fears that cybercafes could be the next target when he warned cybercafe owners not to take over gambling activities from the arcades.

The warning came after the Malaysian government slapped a blanket ban on Wednesday on all video game arcades with a two-month deadline to revoke all licences.

The Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the ban was necessary to curb rampant slot-machine gambling and because the games had become "like an opium" for the younger generation.

Local media indicated that the most popular games at the illegal arcades are electronic horse racing and strip poker.

Gambling is illegal for the Muslim Malay majority in Malaysia, who make up more than half the population of the country, and is restricted to licensed outlets for the other races.

The stern action drew mixed reactions with consumer associations, teachers, unions and civic leaders favoring it, but some opposition party leaders question why legitimate operators were being penalized.

Better enforcement, not a total ban
Kerk Kim Hock, secretary general of opposition party DAP, told ZDNet Asia that a total ban was unfair on legitimate operators and could "ruin businesses".

"We do not advocate a total ban. The rise of illegal gaming arcades is due to slack enforcement. The government should target those operators and not ruin legitimate businesses and put people out of work," said Kerk, who is also a member of parliament for Kota Melaka.

Kerk added that a blanket ban is not the answer. "If you start banning video arcades, where do you stop? Should you now ban cybercafes, snooker centers and nightclubs?"

Kerk said contradictory statements from government leaders that the ban would not affect the Genting Highlands Theme Park, which also houses the only licensed casino in the country, and various gaming machines in private clubs, suggest that the ban decision was made in haste.

"The decision to impose a total ban shows that the Cabinet has adopted a knee-jerk reaction which is missing the forest for the trees. They must distinguish between gaming machines in illegal arcades and non-gambling machines in licensed video centers. The authorities should also understand the difference between youths who squander their money by playing the gambling machines and those who seek excitement and become addicted to non-gambling machines," he said.

Kerk said that since the ban announcement, local enforcement agencies seem to have suddenly "woken up". Local media have played up reports of various police and local council crackdowns on illegal arcades across the country. Some councils have even resorted to cutting water and electricity supply to shut down the arcades.

"Any social problem needs to be resolved with better enforcement and education. Get to the root of the problem first - whether it is corruption on the part of local councils or gambling addiction. Study how to tackle those for the long term, then introduce appropriate control measures if necessary," he said.

Net Surfing Zone's Lim conceded that some 'bad hats' among cybercafe owners offer gambling, but such activities call for better enforcement not a total ban.

"Cybercafes offer a cheap means for people who can't afford computers to access the Internet. I have parents who bring their children in here on weekends and nearby college students who need them to complete assignments," he said.

He added that the games in cybercafes are useful to introduce computer use to the young. "They gradually get bored of these games and start taking a keen interest in the Internet. That's good for our country's drive for a knowledge economy. "

Lim continued that such games should not be confined to the fortunate middle-class and upper middle class families that can afford PCs and PlayStations for their children at home. "Even those who can't afford it should have access. If they don't play games and access the Internet, how are they going to become game designers and software experts?"

The Malaysia authorities had previously backed down on plans to monitor cybercafes and for operators to take down details of customers because the move had raised the heckles of Internet privacy and anti-censorship advocates.

Malaysia has assured investors of the Multimedia Super Corridor project, a technology initiative deemed crucial to the economy, that it would not censor the Internet.

The Malaysian Cabinet is expected to meet tomorrow to discuss whether the ban would be extended to legal arcade operators and cybercafes.