Raya??? (part 2)

Salam...

hari ni 18.09.2009... hari jumaat... aku still kerja ari nie.. nak jimat cuti... esok aku akan terbang ke Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - ke kampung suamiku. wah.. first time balik raya ke sana ni... ada rasa itu kecut kecut juga... maklumla... dah lama tak naik belon.. kena naik balik.. benda yg paling aku tak suka... naik belon.. atau naik benda benda yang melampau ketinggiannya... nasib baik office aku tingkat 31 if kat KLCC - office tingkat 80 - mau aku berenti kot... or office kat KL tower... taknak aku... biar la pendek pendek... rumah pun, aku tak nak cari apartment or condo... aku taknak tinggi2... biarla rendah rendah...

lunch time tadi (1/2 jam before lunch) aku gi sogo ngan kakak aku.. mak oii.. ramainye umat manusia shopping last minute... aku nie nak cari baju cun utk balik umah mertua esok.. hehehe... dapat la jumpa 3 pasang... heheheh.....

kay la nak balik... so, selamat hari raya aidilfitri, maaf zahir dan batin......

Raya???

Salam,

Sebut pasal hari raya nie, memang seronok. Bukan apa, suka tengok orang ber'shopping' sakan. especially kanak-kanak. Memang seronok bila tengok excitement masing-masing.

Last week aku ke kedai kasut di Shah Alam, nak tukar size kasut mak aku. Salah beli.. masa nak tukar tu, ada la sorang budak nie - dlm umur 7-9 tahun la. tengah pegang kasut yang mak dia nak belikan untuknya. So, sampai dekat cashier tu pun, dia masih pegang kasut tu, macam lah cashier tu nak ambil kasut dia. Aku senyum bukan sebab kelakar, tapi, sebab seronok melihat 'excitement' dia nak beraya.

Raya tahun nie, aku just bershopping ala kadar saje.. (ala kadar???).. agaknye la... baju kurung aku tempah 5 pasang.. hehehe... bukan baju raya je, baju aku nak ke office pun banyak dah lusuh.. so kena la ganti... kuih raya - mula mula memang aku cadang beli sikit sikit saje. Aku pun order ala kadar.. tapi, bila dah dapat semua kuih raya tu, cam banyak je.. compare dengan tahun lepas, kuih tahun nie cam banyak sikit la pulak... hehehe.. ada reasonnya...

Tahun lepas aku single mingle, tahun nie aku dah double bubble... Ye la, dulu beli untuk mak sendiri je, tahun nie kena beli sekali untuk mak mertua... hehehe...

Raya tahun nie, adalah raya yang pertama bagi aku untuk tidak beraya bersama emak aku.. (isk..isk..isk..).. ada la rasa sedih sket... tahun nie aku akan beraya di kampung suami aku... bukan dekat, tapi jauh... nun di KK... suami aku dah excited nak balik.. which is 4 hari lagi... beg beg yang nak di bawa semua dah di keluarkan.. tunggu nak packing je.. insyaAllah, hari nie dah start kena packing dah. sebab taknak tertinggal apa apa, n taknak kelam kabut last minute... KK tu bukan dekat... cam KL Melaka...

So, selepas beberapa thn, aku akan menaiki kapal terbang sekali lagi... dan ini akan berlarutan setiap tahun... aku dah la ada fobia kapal terbang nie... adoi... suami aku gelak je la bila tau aku takut naik kapal terbang.... bukan apa, aku pernah merasa air turbulance yang amat dasyat sekali, sehingga menyebabkan aku amat takut dengan kapal terbang.... (but the air turbulance is not with MAS, its with other airline but diiktiraf di dunia...)...

Ok la, cukup takat nie je.. nanti aku sambung balik.... citer pasal air turbulance tu....

September 14, 2009 - Monday

Salam..

wah.. lama betul tak blogging nie.. busy giler lately.. banyak kerja kat office, and tgh catching up jadi a good wife oso.. ;p..

Dalam masa beberapa bulan nie, macam macam benda jadi kat Malaysia nie. Isu kuil la, isu ISA la..., i just jadi pembaca dan pendengar saje.. not my level to make any comment on that issue.. but I really hope that, everything will be back to normal...

Sebut pasal normal... hmm.. banyak yang tak normal lately... especially bulan bulan puasa nie... bukan la apa... last week friday, semasa pulang ke rumah dengan KTM komuter ke laluan Pelabuhan Klang, di perhentian Subang, ada la beberapa org perempuan (dalam lingkungan usia 15-18 tahun la) menaiki tren tersebut. Pakaian, jgn cakap la.. sampai I as a woman pun malu nak tengok. I fikir, apa yang mereka nak tunjuk sangat dengan pakaian begitu?.. Muka bebudak tu memang dah lawa lawa, but, pakaian menyebabkan aku betul betul meluat..

Tak pakai tudung tu satu hal, terdedah sana dan sini tu lagi satu hal. So, salah seorang dari mereka duduk di sebelah ku, (kebetulan ada 1 tempat kosong di sebelah ku).. Nak dijadikan cerita, ada sorang makcik duduk di hadapan kami, memulakan perbualan dengan budak tu.


Makcik: "Assalamualaikum?"

Budak: "waalaikum salam"

Makcik: "dari mana dik"

Budak: "Dari window shopping kak.."

Makcik: "window shopping kat mana?"

Budak: "kat Carrefour je"

Makcik: "Seronok ye shopping"

aku: (senyum.. nak gelak pun ada.. bukan apa, dressing punye maut, tapi setakat carrefour je.. hampeh....)

Makcik: "nak balik ke mana nie?"

Budak: "nak ke *******" (tak perlu la aku sebut kat mana)

Makcik: "dik, makcik nak cakap sikit, boleh tak?"

Budak: "ye makcik??"

Makcik: "adik nie cantik, kalau pakai tudung or at least bersopan, lagi nampak cantik"

Budak: "nanti la makcik, seru tak sampai lagi la". (sambil senyum senyum malu)

Makcik: "seru apa dik, malaikat maut, kalau dah sampai seru, lagi haru.."

Budak: "nanti la makcik, saya tak ready lagi.. nanti apa kata kawan2.. malu la makcik..."

Makcik: "tau tak adik, bila mana adik cakap tak ready lagi pakai tudung, maknanya adik tak bersedia jadi org Islam.. if adik mengaku adik Islam, adik kena follow everything yang Islam suruh buat.."

Budak: (diam).

Makcik: "Makcik bukan nak menyibuk hal adik. saja je nak cakap.. benda cam nie, kalau salah cakap, boleh buat kite jauh dari Islam.. terpulang pada adik la.. Makcik nie minta maaf kalau adik tersinggung. kite nie hidup hendaklah ingat mengingati... Makcik bukan apa, sebab adik nie cantik, sayang kalau kecantikan tu di peragakan untuk org yg tak sepatutnya."

Budak: (diam lagi. tapi dah tak tentu arah dah)

Makcik: "Baik la adik.. Makcik turun dulu.." (stesyen dia dah sampai da)

So, di sini, aku nak tanya, apa sebenarnye yg mereka nak tunjukkan kepada semua?? Nak tunjukkan, yang mereka nie dah balik ke zaman jahilliyah?? Sia sia je Nabi Muhammad dan pengikut pengikutnya berkorban dahulu sekiranya kite kembali ke zaman tersebut.. Fikir lah wahai bebudak semua..

Aku respect sama makcik tu berani menasihati budak tersebut. Aku bukan tak berani, cuma takde keyakinan diri untuk "sound" budak tu..

nak cerita al kisah aku 'sound' org kat public place.. hehehe...

Nak jadikan cerita, aku nie selalu naik train yang paling awal... pukul 6 pagi. so, subuh aku di surau KL Central la. so, masa aku masuk surau tu, ada la sorang makcik, tgh berbaring, dan sekumpulan student - ada la dalam 5 org... Berbual rancak, gelak gelak... dalam surau.. tu kata.. pakai tudung, tapi perangai cam yahudi.. gelak gelak dalam tempat ibadat.. aku sabar je la.. aku pun ambil la wuduk, dan angkat takbir.. baru nak sebut "Allahu Akbar", depa bantai gelak besar... apa yang kelakar tu pun tak tau la... aku pun pusing dan tanya, "dik, McD tutup ke ari nie?" depa jawab "buka la kak".. aku pun bantai la depa "dah tau mcD buka, pergi la situ untuk gelak besar, ini surau, tpt org solat.. bising kat sini bakpe!!" suara aku tinggi gak la masa tu.. bukan apa, depa nie nampak aku dah berdiri ngan telekung tu, respect la sikit.. nama je belajar kat universiti islam, perangai cam yahudi... langsung bebudak tu terdiam.... but, still bercakap pas tu, tapi perlahan la.. mesti depa bengang giler kat aku.. aku pun lagi bengang kat depa...

dah la, cukup la aku membebel buat saat nie.. ada apa apa yg best nanti aku citer kang...

Interest rates news focus

KUALA LUMPUR: Interest rates news is likely to be the focus this Wednesday in Malaysia as well as the US, where several indicators showed further evidence that the economy may well be in recovery mode.

This is despite US regulators saying that Bank of America and Citigroup may still need capital.

HwangDBS Vickers Research Sdn Bhd said in a report that there was “a divided consensus view” on whether Bank Negara would cut or keep the country’s key interest rate - the overnight policy rate - at 2.0%.

It added that the US Federal Open Market Committee was likely to stand pat on the key federal funds rate, which already stood at near zero.

On the local bourse, it said the KLCI might attempt to recover to 970 and beyond but “any technical rebound is not expected to sustain.”

Meanwhile, the KLCI fell 8.60 points to 957.10 at 9.30am.

Singapore’s Straits Times Index was 0.67% higher at 1,820.59 while Shanghai’s A share index was unchanged.

Taipei’s Taiex Index was up 0.58% to 5,629.20 and Seoul’s Kospi Index rose 0.96% to 1,312.74.

At Bursa Malaysia, 56 counters were up, 153 were down and 84 others were traded unchanged. There were 157.68 million shares done at a total value of RM107.47 million.

Among plantation counters, KL Kepong fell 20 sen to RM11.20, Sime dropped 15 sen to RM6.30, Asiatic lost 12 sen to RM4.76 and Kulim was 10 sen lower at RM5.40.

Adventa was up 3 sen to RM1.03, Top Glove dropped 10 sen to RM5.90 and TNB lost 10 sen to RM7.05.

Construction stocks IJM fell 12 sen to RM4.60 while MRCB gained 3 sen to RM1.06.

Nymex crude oil in electronic trade was down 42 cents to US$49.50 per barrel.

Spot gold fell US$2.40 to US$891.97 per ounce.

The ringgit was quoted at 3.608 to the US dollar.

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Source: The Star Online

Swine flu could mean new threat to US and global economy

WASHINGTON: The U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery, faces a potentially grave new threat: swine flu.

A widespread outbreak could batter the tourism, food and transportation industries in particular, deepening the recession in the U.S. and possibly worldwide.

With the U.S. and the global economy already fragile, another severe blow could reverse any progress made in easing the recession.

The European Union advised against nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico.

And worried Wall Street investors pounded stocks of airline companies, hotels, cruise operators and some food firms on fears that the flu would crimp consumer demand.

But at least three major airlines said their operations are proceeding normally and have not canceled any flights to Mexico.

Brian Bethune, economist at IHS Global Insight, said, "You can argue that the swine flu amplifies the downside risks to the economy."

The U.S. economy could end up shrinking a bit more than now expected.

But most experts don't think a swine-flu outbreak by itself would eliminate many U.S. jobs or severely worsen the economy.

Simon Johnson, former chief economist to the International Monetary Fund and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, envisions only a "small hit" to economic activity in the United States - just a few tenths of 1 percentage point.

But if the problem persists for months, spreads broadly and leads to widespread flu cases, or even deaths, in the United States, the damage could be more severe.

It could delay an economic recovery well into 2010, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.

"Consumer confidence is already frayed, and something like that would push it over the edge," Zandi said.

Sherry Cooper, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets & BMO Nesbitt Burns, said: "The last thing we need is additional reason to cut spending, eliminate travel and introduce trade restrictions."

In a worst-case scenario, Bethune says the U.S. economy would contact by an extra 0.3 percent this year, on top of his prediction of a 3.5 percent drop.

That amounts to a roughly $50 billion loss of economic activity, he said.

The IMF already has predicted the U.S. economy will shrink 2.8 percent this year.

Both Bethune's and the IMF's estimates would mark the worst showing since an 11 percent plunge in 1946.

One big fear is that spooked consumers will cut back spending on travel, restaurant meals and trips to shopping malls.

Even so, the impact on the U.S. unemployment rate, which is expected to hit 10 percent by year's end, is likely to be small.

Bethune said a serious swine flu outbreak might end up raising the jobless rate a few tenths of a percentage point.

The unemployment rate is now at a quarter-century high of 8.5 percent.

Companies have laid off so many workers in the recession that they are already lean, analysts said.

Why do analysts expect only limited economic damage?

The world is now better prepared to deal with health crises, given the experience of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003 and then the threat of the bird flu, Johnson and other economists said.

Vaccines can be rolled out fairly quickly. And many big companies now have contingency plans to keep essential operations going if employees can't make it to work.

"On the one hand, it's a terrible and traumatic thing - a flu pandemic," Johnson said.

"On the other hand, it almost certainly will not have a significant effect."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it's a "little too early to determine the economic impact" but that the Treasury Department and agencies are "monitoring the situation and looking into it."

The swine flu outbreak started in Mexico and has spread to the United States and elsewhere.

The European Union advised against nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico.

But Dr. Richard Besser, acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, called that unwarranted.

"At this point, I would not put a travel restriction or recommendation against coming to the United States," he said.

China, Taiwan and Russia, meanwhile, considered quarantines, and several Asian countries scrutinized visitors arriving at airports.

President Barack Obama said the threat of spreading swine flu infections is cause for concern but "not a cause for alarm."

Still, investors sold off stocks of companies involved in the travel and some food industries on fears the swine flu would crimp demand.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. fell nearly 11 percent, Cruise operator Carnival Corp. 13.5 percent and Delta Air Lines Inc. 14.3 percent.

Some airline passengers have changed or canceled their plans to fly to Mexico.

"The loads are a little bit less than they normally would be for this time of day, but we are not seeing mass bookings away," said Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for US Airways.

American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said his carrier has not seen large numbers of requests for travel changes, though there have been some.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said: "We have seen minimal changes to customer bookings."

The airlines said their flights are operating as usual, with their normal slate of trips to Mexico.

Online travel agencies Orbitz Worldwide Inc. and Expedia Inc. are both waiving fees to change or cancel reservations for trips to Mexico. Priceline.com Inc. said it is matching the policies of its suppliers.

"If the supplier is waiving our fee, we're waiving our fee," said Priceline travel expert Brian Ek.

"It will depend on which carrier you're using."

The chief executive of The Cruise Outlet said his travel agency, which focuses on cruises, hasn't seen a rise in cancellations or calls from concerned passengers.

Neither Carnival nor Royal Caribbean said it plans to change its itineraries.

The flu could hurt the $5 billion export market for U.S. pork. China, Russia and Ukraine banned imports of pork and pork products from Mexico and three U.S. states that have reported cases of swine flu, and other governments were increasing screening of pork imports.

Shares of Smithfield Foods Inc., the nation's largest hog producer and pork processor, fell more than 12 percent.

Even though it's safe to eat pork (swine flu viruses don't spread through food), analysts still fear that consumers could shy away from eating pork and shift to other meats like chicken or beef.

"Though there is no evidence that swine flu can be obtained by eating pork, the fear generated by a disease named after hogs cannot be good for pork consumption," said JPMorgan analyst Ken Goldman.

Grocers have begun to face questions from concerned shoppers about any dangers of eating pork, Goldman said.

The industry-funded National Pork Producers Council launched a public relations effort to reassure consumers, saying the flu has not been detected in any U.S. swine herds.

The group said cooking pork would kill any traces of the virus and the sickness is spread only from human-to-human contact.

Tyson Foods Inc., the nation' second-biggest pork producer, was somewhat shielded from a drop in pork demand because the company also sells beef and chicken products and could benefit from an increase in demand for them. - AP

Government goes easy on financial sector

THE STAR ONLINE

Foreign ownership to rise from 49 to 70 percent equity
Zeti: Changes to local financial sector a gradual process

PUTRAJAYA: The Government will issue up to nine new banking and insurance licences until 2011 and allow foreigners to own up to 70% equity in the country’s Islamic banks, investment banks and insurance companies.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the liberalisation package, comprising six thrusts, was aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s linkages with international economies.

“It will also bring about greater confidence into the economy and promote better economic regional integration,” Najib said when announcing the steps at his office yesterday.

Najib, also the Finance Minister, said there would be flexibility in allowing for an increase in foreign equity ownership limits of investment banks, Islamic banks, insurance companies and takaful operators from 49% to 70%.

“Such alliances will strengthen business potential and enhance growth prospects of financial institutions through the international expertise and global networks of foreign shareholders,” he said.

However, the foreign equity limit for commercial banks would remain at the current 30%, said Najib.

He said new licences for seven banks and two family takaful players would also be issued.

Under this, a maximum of two new Islamic banking licences would be issued to foreign players to establish banks with paid-up capital of at least US$1bil (RM3.62bil).

Also, two new commercial banking licences for foreign players that would bring in specialised expertise would also be issued.

These four licences would be issued this year, together with the two new family takaful licences.

In 2011, up to three new commercial banking licences would be issued to world-class banks.

The Government, Najib added, would offer operational flexibility to foreign institutions to increase the number of branches, while locally incorporated foreign commercial banks could establish four new full-fledged branches from 2010, and 10 micro-finance branches starting this year.

Effective June 1, holding companies in Labuan, incorporated under the Offshore Companies Act 1990, would be given flexibility to establish an operational and management office in Kuala Lumpur.

Najib said that offshore banking institutions and insurance companies licensed by the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (Lofsa), which met the predetermined criteria, could be allowed to have a physical presence onshore from 2010 and 2011 respectively.

“Greater flexibility will also be accorded for employment of expatriates in specialist areas able to contribute to the development of the financial sector,” he said.

Najib said that over the last three years, the finance and insurance sector had expanded by 8.8% per annum, outpacing the growth in real gross domestic product of about 6%.

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Tuesday April 28, 2009
By MAZWIN NIK ANIS

Malaysia - TheStar - Still some momentum ahead

Monday July 2, 2007
By ONG CHEE TING

The Government may be considering measures to encourage more property ownership for the mass market after the earlier initiatives to spur activities in the medium to high-end segment.
SINCE the relaxation of residential ownership rules for foreigners and the real property gains tax (RPGT) waiver, high-end residential properties in Malaysia have attracted a fair amount of interest from abroad.

The changes initiated by the Government, which were targeted at stimulating property activities in the medium- to high-end segment, have thus far mainly benefited the high-end segment of the market.

In the last six months, we have seen greater interest from foreign buyers (as well as local buyers) looking to get into the Malaysian residential property market, which is relatively cheaper vis-à-vis global prices. The RPGT waiver was therefore timely in speeding up acquisitions in Kuala Lumpur.

With the anticipated 4.3% appreciation of the ringgit against the US dollar to RM3.30 (from RM3.45 currently) by year end and eventually RM3.10 by end-2008, the investment proposition in Malaysian assets has an added sweetener.

Developers with ongoing developments were seen raising selling prices by 5% to 100% year-on-year from their launch prices. Just last year, eyebrows were raised when high-end properties around the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) were going for RM1,000 per sq ft (psf). Today, the upcoming Four Seasons is said to fetch RM2,000 psf.

We expect the pricing gap between mass market and high-end residences in Malaysia to continue to widen in line with the regional phenomenon, as petrodollars and stock market wealth continue to have spill-over effects on property demand in Malaysia as prices remain cheap vis-à-vis regional peers.

With the recent spike in property prices, we are also experiencing a spike in land prices around the KLCC vicinity. We understand that a piece of land along Jalan Kia Peng, where the present Hakka Restaurant is located, was sold via tender for over RM1,300 psf in 2Q07 – a record price.
This was more than 30% above Glomac’s recent purchase of 1.3 acres of freehold commercial land at RM1,000psf (at the junction of Jalan P. Ramlee and Jalan Pinang) in 4Q06.

We believe the current high-end residential prices are sustainable and may continue to set new records as long as the political and economic climates of Malaysia and the world remain favourable, and Malaysia remains business friendly.
Unlike typical residential investments which require investment returns (in the form of rental), the high-end residential game plan differs with the surplus liquidity in the world. Buyers of these properties have varying reasons for such purchases – speculation, prestige, address, excess cash, and status, to name a few. We understand that high-end residences in Dubai are a classic example, whereby rental returns are almost non-existent, despite soaring prices of over US$1,000 psf.

More incentives to come

Following the initiatives benefiting high-end residences, we believe the Government is also looking at options to encourage more property ownership for the mass market. Among the speculated measures that the Government is considering are:

• Restructuring of EPF depositors’ acco-unts to allow for more withdrawals. We understand that there may be plans to restructure the monthly contribution to Accounts I and II from 70%:30% presently to about 50%:50%; and/or to allow simultaneous withdrawals from Account II for purchases of second houses without the need to sell the first house funded by EPF savings.

• A potential temporary waiver or reduction of stamp duty tax, as was the case in 2003, where for a period of one year starting from June 1, 2003, purchases of houses priced at RM180,000 and below from the developers were eligible for stamp duty exemptions, and the secondary market was exempted from RPGT.

• Further relaxation of property ownership. There are talks that the Government may consider extending the relaxation of rules to commercial properties, to encourage more direct investments. However, we note that foreign ownership remains a delicate issue in the country. And without a comprehensive restructuring plan to liberalise the economy in place, any long-term benefits of such a measure remain opaque.

• Fine-tuning the Malaysia My Second Home Programme. The present Malaysia My Second Home programme has had mixed results, with some suggesting that it is drawing the wrong group of people into the country. The Government is mindful of the present outcome, and we understand regulations may be fine-tuned to attract the “right” group of people to stay in Malaysia.

• While this initiative is unlikely to have a significant impact on the property market in the short term, it will nonetheless draw more foreign investments into the country over the longer run and benefit retail spending, tourism and the healthcare industry in the country.

• Non-competitive REIT structure. One of the common complaints we gathered from local and foreign investors in our past roadshows, is a lack of tax incentives for real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Malaysia. Despite Malaysia’s introduction of a lower 15% withholding tax (WHT) for individuals (previously at individuals’ prevailing tax rates) and 20% WHT for institutional investors (previously at the corporate tax rate of 28%) in last year’s budget, Malaysia’s attractiveness as a REIT investment destination still lags behind its peers in the region.

Further REIT tax incentives to revive interest

The current withholding tax structure for Malaysian REITs is generally seen to be hampering REITs’ price performance, and an obstacle in attracting new equity issuances among existing players.

The existing structure is also discouraging others from joining the bandwagon, as potential players are enticed by better valuations in other regional markets.
We believe the Government is aware of the need to provide more incentives to make our REITs more competitive and on par with the regional peers.
We remain overweight on the property sector, as it is set to gain further boost ahead of the upcoming general election.

Among property sector players, we like Sunrise and YNH Property for exposure to high-end developments, Mah Sing for its unique business model, SP Setia and WCT Land for their exposure to the mass market, and Sunway City for both property development and asset reflation play.

Among REITs, we prefer exposure to commercial related REITs.

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(Source: The Star Online, 2007)