johnlee_my Unit trusts have become an increasingly attractive option for savers, now that bank deposits earn negative returns in real terms, with inflation rates rising above interest rates offered by commercial banks. To be sure, higher returns on investments are not the only reason why one might want to resort to unit trusts. Publication: MIERScan, 20 … Read more
For a country that produces Plans for financial reform, human resource development, industrial development, capital market reform, automobile industry development and knowledge development, besides, of course, the Outline Perspective Plan and the regular Five-Year Plans, it is time that we reflect on the planning process. Author: Nambiar, Shankaran. Publication: MIERScan, 9 January 2006. Download
The size of global Islamic funds has dramatically increased since the incident of September 11. Investments particularly from Islamic institutions and wealthy Muslims have shifted from conventional based funds to Islamic funds. Back in 1999, these funds were estimated at about US$800 million and now up to US$200 billion. It is interesting to know who … Read more
The past several decades have seen much progress made to enhance the economic participation of women in Malaysia. Since the Declaration of the United Nations Decade for Women back in 1979, there has been a growing recognition that women play a crucial role in the country’s economic development. Author: Wong, ChayNee. Publication: MIERScan, 14 August … Read more
Since the introduction of the New Economic Policy 1971-1990 (NEP), Malaysia has achieved outstanding progress in poverty eradication. During this period the poverty incidence has dropped from 52.4 percent in 1970 to 15 percent in 1990. This index remains in a declining trend with the latest figures showing a drop from 8.5 percent in 1999 … Read more
Our obsession used to be about producing at the lowest cost, but we have since passed that stage. Now, it is about increasing productivity, by delivering better quality products and services in the most efficient way by using less labour and capital resources. A commitment towards high productivity will reduce wastages and increase efficiency. Author: … Read more
The end of the colonial era did not mark the end of the close economic and financial relations that had developed among Britain, Malaysia and Singapore. Both Malaysia and Singapore continued to maintain their pegged exchange rate to sterling until June 1973, and to hold the bulk of their reserves in sterling even after the … Read more
The banking sector is poised to face new challenges from high interest rates environment in the coming years. With higher cost of borrowing, the public may postpone their purchases. Not only that, current concern with inflation is making many banks worried about interest-rate risk. Floating rate loans can easily absorb any increase in the overnight … Read more
Authors: Fang, Han-ming & Norman, Peter. Source: International Economic Review, Vol. 47, No. 2, May 2006, p. 361-389. Abstract: We study an economy with private and public sectors in which workers invest in imperfectly observable skills that are important to the private sector but not to the public sector. Government regulation allows native majority workers … Read more
The strong export-led growth rates that the country has enjoyed have helped tremendously in poverty eradication. In the 1970s the average growth rate was 7.5 per cent; in the 1980s it was 5.8 per cent; and in the 1990s the growth rate averaged an invigorating 7.1 per cent. Author: Nambiar, Shankaran. Publication: MIERScan, 5 June … Read more