The article below was qouted from DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang's blog.
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Malaysia’s Slowing Performance
by Greg Lopez
Asia Sentinel
25 August 2011
There are strong institutional reasons for the lagging performance against its regional neighbors
In the 70 years since World War II ended, East Asian economies, including Malaysia, appear to have largely got performance right. Malaysia was also one of 13 countries identified by the Commission on Growth and Development in its 2008 Growth Report to have recorded average growth of more than 7 percent per year for 25 years or more. Malaysia achieved this spectacular performance from 1967 to 1997.
However, since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and1998, Malaysia’s economic performance when compared to previous decades has been lackluster and most macroeconomic indicators are trending downwards. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself in the publication on March 30, 2010 of the New Economic Model – Part 1. This was a very brave move but a necessary one by the premier as he acknowledged publicly the failures of Malaysia’s current economic model in order to demonstrate urgency for reforms.
The New Economic Model identifies domestic factors such as weak investor confidence, capability constraints (weak human capital, entrepreneurial base and innovative capacity) , productivity ceilings and institutional degradation and external factors such as a sluggish global economy caused by the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the rise of neighbors in the region in contributing to the declining growth trajectory.
If we were to revisit the determinants of growth and agree that proper institutions form the overall structure that determines long-term sustainable growth, then the logical response is to reform Malaysia’s institutional set-up, as it must be the deepest determinant of what is hindering economic growth.
This view is further strengthened as Malaysia’s other deep determinants, geography and trade, are favorable. The country has abundant natural resources, is shielded from natural hazards and is well-located strategically both geopolitically and economically. Malaysia has also benefitted tremendously from being an open economy, especially in the merchandise sector.
The New Economic Model also reports that regional challenges from China, India and Vietnam, etc. are a cause for Malaysia’s declining economic performance. What has changed about these countries? They have all undertaken institutional reforms: China since 1978, India since 1992 and Vietnam since 1986. They are reaping the benefits while Malaysia has stalled in its institutional reforms since the 1990s, regressed in some ways and is suffering from the consequences.
The above points stress the importance of institutional reforms in Malaysia, something that Najib has ironically neglected in his signature policies – 1Malaysia, Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme.
According to the Growth Commission report, “…fast sustained growth is not a miracle; it is attainable for developing countries with the ‘right mix of ingredients.’ Countries need leaders who are committed to achieving growth and who can take advantage of opportunities from the global economy. They also need to know about the levels of incentives and public investments that are necessary for private investment to take off and ensure the long-term diversification of the economy and its integration in the global economy…”
Michael Spence, the Chairman of the Growth Commission, elaborated on his extensive experience working with developing countries on growth issues in his latest book by emphasizing two important characteristics for developing countries to ensure long term sustainable growth – the role of political leadership and democratic norms. He suggests four characteristics for governments that are necessary requirements to underpin long term growth:
1.The government takes economic performance and growth seriously.
2.The governing group has values that cause it to try to act in the interest of the vast majority of the people (as opposed to themselves or some subgroup, however defined)
3.The government is competent and effective and selects a viable sustained-growth strategy that includes openness to the global economy, high levels of investment, and a strong future orientation.
4.Economic freedom is present and is supported by the legal system and regulatory policy
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I'm surprised to see that even Najib is aware that our economy is going downward, jeez, it took a long time for him to figure it out though!!!
Malaysia's economy had been spiraling downwards ever since BODOWI took over. I remembered he once did something really useful by imposing a minimum salary of RM600, but after much pressure from the private sector he kept the issue aside and let it chill.
Ever since Najib took over, nothing much changed.....erm, apart from the 1 Malaysia slogan.
Fresh graduates with overseas degrees starts with a low salary of RM2k+, and it was the same few years ago, see how stagnant it is?. Half of it will go to the condominium, because you could barely afford a landed house, and the other half onto a car. This means all that's left is peanuts, and you'll be forced to eat Roti kosong RM1,Nasi lemak RM1, and teh tarik RM1.20 , of which will kill you faster than your loan tenure, than the government says we have to excersice more often because malaysian are obese...F**k it
What i'm stressing here is that, our spending power had been suppressed because we pay heftily on cars which is considered a must in Malaysia, why? Ask BODOWI lo. LRT line was announced since he stepped into office, but now in 2011, haven't build yet!!!.
Cars in Malaysia is so expensive that we some of us literally spend 10 years in repayments, on top of the 35 years repayment that we spend for the condo, that's a heavy burden for a light monthly paycheque. Guess right now it will be more economical to eat mamak/malay food rather than chinese/indian food...no wonder those Pendatang overtaken the Malays
Racism is not something extraordinary and rare, its a plagued that happens in all countries irregardless of poor or rich. Everybody hates racist, it's a disease that divides humans, believes, and it is dangerous.
I've been a victim of rasicm all my life, and i've learned to tolerate it and not give a shit about it. I've also learned to trust only to myself, and to work hard to achieve something on myself. Nobody's going to feed me if i failed and nobody's going to be there when you need a help. This wise and short quotes had been repeated by my parents over and over again since i was a little kid, and it still proves to be true till today. What i'm trying to stress here is that Malaysian chinese had to rely on themselves to survive, and we were typically cast out to the sea by our beloved motherland, and we had to swim to survive or drown.
The Malaysian Chinese are proud of their country, and notice how we called ourselves "Malaysian first, Chinese second"?, you recalled that? our Deputy prime minister used to argued on that!!!. My granpa used to fought for his country, and willing to die for his country and I myself would do the same in that situation, but....see what's happening today?. We are called "PENDATANG" which means immigrant in Malay.
Sometimes i wondered, my granparents was born in Malaysia, i was born in Malaysia, My Identity card was registered in Malaysia,I can speak proper Malay,I paid taxes, and still, i am called a pendatang?, while Mamaks are not?. Was it because of my religion or skin colour?...... Go ask those dumb Malaysian politicians!!!!!.
I am born and bred in Malaysia for 26 years, and my grandparents used to tell me stories of the 3 main races in Malaysia, which is Malay,Chinese and Indians. Now "1 Malaysia concept" had made the pool more diverse by introducing Indonesian Malaysian, Bangla Malaysian, Myanmar Malaysian and etc.
To make matters worse, Malaysian Chinese in West Malaysia are "NOT BUMIPUTRAS", while Malaysian Chinese in East Malaysia "ARE BUMIPUTRAS" (bumiputra means the son of the soil in Malay). I had an uncle in Lahad datu,Sabah in east Malaysia, he is a Chinese, he is registered as a Bumiputra and it is stated in his identity card, he enjoys the benefit of having discount when buying a house, he can join into UMNO party which in west Malaysia is reserved only to Malays......... I AM NOT!!!!!. Why?
Malaysian Chinese Population Declines to 25%
In a census just beyond 2000, I heard that there were approximately 32% ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. This, at the time was alarming enough as we were closer to 40% in the earlier days. Today, it is reported at as of 2005, there are only 25% and the number continues to reduce.
Why is this? I think everyone knows the answer why. Non Malays in Malaysia are being systematically marginalised to make way for fellow Malays who need not get things like scholarships by merit. It is practically presented to them on a silver platter, regardless if they are deserving or not.
Most Chinese and Indians who can afford to send their children overseas would definitely NOT encourage them to work and settle down in Malaysia. Put yourself in their shoes, ask yourself, Why would you want your children to suffer the same fate as you?. Perhaps you might argue that "the pastures are always greener on the other side"?, but nope, not me. I was a Second class citizen back in my own country, and now in U.K, i'm still a second class citizen, so does it makes any difference?
While the Chinese and the Indians are being sidelined in Malaysia, politicians are busy arguing whether they should call themselves "Malaysian Malays" or "Malay Malaysian"?.
While the Chinese and the Indians are being sidelined in Malaysia, Datuk ibrahim ali is now busy writing a speech on how to criticize and bombard the christian community in Malaysia.
While the Chinese and the Indians are being sidelined in Malaysia, MP's are arguing whether we the Chinese and Indians should be chased out of Malaysia......Go see for youself on youtube link below.
Even our neighbours, Singapore is laughing at us, so as a conclusion i would like to thank the government for casting us out, it had made the Malaysian Chinese stronger, because we are not living on welfare, and we are forced to work harder and smarter than others.
Every country is laughing at Malaysia, and here the ministers are fighting over "Ketuanan Melayu". If i'm a Malay, i should be very embarassed. Think about it, if you let the "Malayu Islam" as said by Ibrahim Ali, to run the economy, do you think it will flourish?. The Malays are blessed to have the Chinese and Indians in this country, and Don't call us Pendatang, Malays are immigrants as well, its just that the government had altered the history books that you've read......We are the same, we are equal, and most importantly, WE ARE MALAYSIANS.
I'm sure some of you might be noticing that i've started to speak mandarin more often now, I'm in U.K but still i'm learning mandarin, weird?. Chinese population here in U.K is huge, wherever you go, chances are you would bump into one of them. From restaurants to markets to shopping mall, i've been approached by them all asking where i'm from.
I've been asked that question so many times that i started to identify myself as a local Brit.
Everytime when i was asked "why are you a chinese but doesn't know how to speak mandarin", i;ve got to explain a long story to them, and i got fed-up that i'm learning their lingo now.
Today i had dinner with some of my friend, and of of them was a girl, and i asked the most dumbest question whether she would like to have skinless chicken or not, it goes like this, but translated to English:-
me: What do you want?
girl: i want fried chicken with ......
me: Chicken? want " Ji pei" ?
girl: .....huh.........(swing her bag to my chest)
me: "Ji pei" not nice meh? Why hit me? (got hit again)
After the incident, it turns out that I was supposed to say "Ji Pee" instead of "Ji pei" which means vagina in mandarin.
So i got "bagged" today for not knowing what i was saying.
So should i be proud being a banana?....erm i think so!!!!
I've never touched earphones for a long long time now, but since i've got my hands on a new pair of Sennheiser MX370 earphones i mind as well be writing something about it. This earphone probably cost peanuts to buy, and i think i saw it at a departmental store for around 19 pounds.
This earphone might be cheap, but if you want good music at low price, is suggest getting a headphone or an in ear earphone instead. I've abandoned earphones ever since i got my first headphone which is a philips, and i've never went back ever since.
For starters, this earphone is not properly shaped to fit into my ears which means lots of sound leakage and incomplete sealing. Bass wise was OK, as it was deep enough and it handled the low end bass without much distortions UNTIL you turn up the volume where it lost its OK-ness.
Higher pitch sounds were OK, not as clear as you would expect but still somewhere around the acceptable region. When the volume goes up, the treble will overtake the bass which at that point its cheapness starts to show.
The bottomline is, if you're going looking for cheap and cheerful earphone, you're not listening too loud (less than 40% volume), likes to listen to pop, and want to listen to music and have a conversation at the same time, then you will find this quite suitable, but if you are the type who wants trance,disco,metal, DO NOT get this even though it suits your budget.
I'm sure most of you heard about the London riot that is happening here in the U.K, and i'm sure as well that readers here had relatives that are in U.K now. I can tell you that they are safe from harm, as the police here is way more efficient than the ones back in Malaysia.
To be more precise, it isn't a riot that's been happening down in London, its more like a Mass Looting of high end products. I've saw from the news that most that took part in the riots are students and young people. Nobody know what had been the cause of the riots, even the authorities doesn't know it.
Life is already difficult for Londoners, as they have to pay for their living on top of that the taxes and utilities, but wait.....the U.K government provides welfare for the poor isn't it?. This question is not an easy one, and it also does not have a definite answer to it.
To sum up thoe riots that's been happening this year in 2011 are:-
It's only August of 2011 and there are a few already, i guess the peoples of the world are getting greedier and going berserk.
I've seen many of these video from youtube, and from what they've interviewed from the rioters, is the lack of job opportunity and freedom.
People all around the world are complaining about the high food prices and and lack of job opportunities, and when few people get together and shares the same problem, it becomes anger, and eventually the anger will turn into violence.
I've also started to question myself on why such thing ever happens?. If you are deprived of jobs, shouldn't you be working harder to find one instead of rioting? Shouldn't you be at home thinking hard for a way out instead of causing harm on the streets?
For those who's not affected by the riots, think about it out of the box. Why does it happen? Is there a pattern to why all these riots happen?. Try to think of it as a whole, is it because of the scarcity of resources? Do you think there is a mastermind behind all this?, Do you think its the work of Americans? or do you think its because its a warning from god of the impending disaster that's coming in 2012? or perhaps the rioter know something that we don't know, perhaps knowing that their government is building an ark, and they loot whatever they can to get the save for the tickets to the ark?......I don't know!!!!.
All i know is the mankind populations should be at its peak now, and there will always be forces of nature or perhaps mankind, that's always trying to keep everything in balance.
Perhaps this video could explain more about what's been happening in 2011.
So friends, families and readers, take a minute to remind yourself how fragile life is, live your life like there's no tomorrow. If you want something GET IT!!!, if you LOVE someone SAY IT!!!. And some of my christian friends used to tell me that his GOD will give signs....and perhaps riots this year, plus the Japan's Tsunami disaster is the sign.
Single bulb xenon flash is sufficient for dim photography and useful as a torchlight.
Sharp colours and terrific brightness form the 4.3 inch WVGA screen.
Li-ion battery has got 1650mAH of capacity, and its even got an extra micro SD slot
Terrific image quality from the 8mp snapper
Dual cameras, 3.5mm headphone jack, and at this angle the screen still look clear.
Pixels? What? Its a sharp screen, enough said.
This mega samsung could perhaps be one of the most lightest and thinnest 4 inch phone i've ever held, or placed in my pocket. I'm not kidding you about the lightness, because the battery cover is made of thin plastic, the aluminium side strips that surrounds the phone feels cheap and very light. That might not be a bad thing for this phone though as i am really happy with the weight of the Galaxy S2 in my pocket.
As you turned it on, you'll immediately noticed how bright and cheerful the screen is, because its utilising samsungs popular SUPER-AMOLED screen. The gorilla glass screen is also very tough which means it will not break if you accidentally sit on it, and its scratch proof too. Black colours also appears really black, and other colour are stunningly rendered, and the live wallpaper really is jaw dropping, furthermore, the screen offers a high resolution which means icons looks really smooth.
The specification of the phone is as impressive as the design of the phone because it utilises the latest 1.2 Ghz Samsung Orion processor which has 2 cores, and it running it will be via the android 2.3.3 which is very responsive and quick. I've tried running a 720p movie with the built in video player, and it turns out to be quite laggy. Yeah...no doubt its got a fast processor, could even be faster than the ipad's processor, but a phone is a phone, or could it be the software that's at fault?
The phone function is good, with call sounding crisp,clear and loud enough. The reception strenght is great as well, holding its signal better than my Nokia E7 could. While the quality of the calls were great, the Phonebook functions and the messagings are too much for me. I think android phonebooks are quite complicated, because there is too much functions in there. I've got used to picking up the phone, selecting the contact and pressing th dial button, but this galaxy just had more steps involved which is unnecessary.
Web browsing on this phone is a blast, courtesy of the big screen and responsive SWYPE on screen keyboard. I've ditch the default browser for a Opera browser instead, and i've been told that this device supports Flash 10.3 contents.
As for the camera, i couldn't find a fault for it, as the pictures produced are great, and its even got a macro mode that really works...ON A PHONE!!!.
As for video, it can record full HD videos, which also produce stunning results.
After spending almost 2 weeks on the phone, i can say that i'm quite happy with it, as it is powerful and light enough to hold, plus the battery life when running on battery saving mode can last me up to 2 full days with light usage and web surfing at 60% screen brightness. But if you ever use it to watch HD movies, it will get pretty warm in your hands, and it will struggle to last a day. I'm sure those who buys this phone will not use it squarely for work, but if you're really into video,gaming, and "always on" data mode, you'll probably zap up the battery very very fast.
Recomended if you want a small and powerfull phone which is both stable and easy to use, and to those who don't mind keeping this device for for a year or two. But if you really are a gadget freak, and you want the best toys to wow your friends, i'd say wait for the LG 3D phone. I'd saw the LG today at carphone warehouse and it's "OhmegawdfreeginAwhhhhsome".
The LG 3D phone is launched today, i've played with it, and i definately loved it. Get the LG 3D instead of this samsung galaxy if you are NOW shopping for phones at this price. The 3D effect will surely pop your cherry.
This peugeot 3008 HDi is the first ever peugeot i've driven, and i've driven for more than 1000kms on it already.
Here's the specification of the 3008:
Nothing much to fault on except the satnav which is quite confusing to use.
Dash is easy to read, and bright, but a little too minimalist.
Do you really need this? Isn't the seat belt buzzer annoying enough?
The quality of the cabin is quite good. The dash board is covered with soft plastics, the leather wrapped steering is good to hold. The door panel also have soft plastics and lined with real aluminium strips which makes it looks very classy.
There's a lot of storage space in the cabin, the space in the boot was HUGE, but legroom was a little tight for my height at 6 feet. The seating position is akin to a Van, which is mounted high, but short legs. This seating position will make taller drivers feel tired after prolonged hours of driving, but fortunately the seats were supportive.
Headroom and shoulder room is good, and the cabin feels airy.
The sound system pumps up great music, and its easy to use, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Satnav system which is confusing and difficult to use. The remote commander which is located next to the wiper stalks are also quite difficult to use as they are clustered together with the ignition keys and the wiper stalk, and sometimes when you want to increase the volume of the radio, you could accidentally activate the wipers or pressed on the keys, Peugeot could have used steering buttons instead of the old fashioned remote commander.
Engine
The engine in this 3008 feels quite brisk, slightly above the "enough" level. The turbocharger in this car kicks in at around 1600rpm, and once it hits this mark, the surge of power comes in big lumps and the passengers will probably notice it, but thankfully its smooth and revs quite freely up to 5000rpm.
This diesel engine is very clattery, it feels like Peugeot had skimped on engine bushes. Its clattery when idle, and the vibration can be felt on the gear levers and the clutch pedals.
Fuel consumption was great, as it returned over 50mpg.
Ride and Handling
The ride is a little bit bumpy at low speed, but settles down at high speed. Meanwhile the handling was good, with the steering giving great feedback and sharpness but a little bit light, and body roll was also very minimal.
Travelling at speeds at 90mph, the ride feels comfortable, and noise levels are just merely acceptable. At this speed, the car also feels susceptible to crosswind. When anything slightly bigger than the 3008 overtakes you at speeds above 70mph, you will practically feels the cars side to side motion, and this is not cool, because it requires a lot of steering correction to keep the car straight and it tires my arms.
This peugeot uses the good old torsion beam rear suspension, which explains why it has a big and deep boot. The front uses the McPherson Independent suspension. I've always hated cars with beam type suspension at the rear, and this peugeot is no exception, and mid corner bumps still upset the cars balance.
The brakes in this car is good, great stopping power and pedal feel, but the pedal are relatively small and they are not spaced adequately enough.
Conclusion
This peugeot 3008, fits in between the MPV and 4x4 category, and its got competitions from both sides. And for the question of ,Do i recommend it?, i think its a NO for me.
The peugeot doesn't give me the impression that its a proper good quality car, the door close with a hollow thud, while it rides well, it didn't feel sophisticated enough,it's powerful enough and economical to run, after my non stop drive down to south of england, my legs felt tired not because of the clutch action , but because of the lack of legroom.
The 3rd art gallery i visited since i've step foot in this country.
Loved english arts!!!
Einstein....my idol!!! Don't laugh
Yes....i'm friggin affraid of heights. Liverpool's eyes nearly made me wet my pants.
I've traveled all the way from southern Yorkshire down to the South of England, and its a long long journey, so i'd recommend you get some good company and a comfy vehicle to start with. I''ve always hated long journeys on roads, but after experiencing the beauty in Llanberis, i'd say its all worth the sacrifice.
After Llanberis, we travelled back up to Liverpool for a night there. Liverpool has got nice shopping centres and like always, i can't resist shopping, so i bought myself some clothings and a spanking new Samsung galaxy S2, as i'm so fed up with my Nokia E7.
I'll be writing a review soon on the Samsung Galaxy S2, so check back later. As for now, i;ve gotta stop blogging on my galaxy S2 now, as the battery is going to die soon.
I've went for a weekend trip from Sheffield to the mountains of Snowdon with this new Ford S-max 7 seater. This version is the 2000cc Turbodiesel version with the 6 speed manual shifter.
The specification is as below:
Engine: 2.0 Duratorq TDCi
Max power : 163Ps
Max Torque: 340Nm
MPG: 45
Kerb weight: 1690Kg
This van currently ranks first on my list of 7 seater vans i've driven. Its got the combination of both power and handling in a VAN!!!.
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Cabin
First of all when you climb aboard this vehicle,you will first notice the nice and cosy cabin. The materials used in its construction is solid and imparts a quality feel to it. The thick leather wrapped steering wheel feels nice to touch, the doors gives a solid thud when closed. When i think about it, there isn't any noticeable cheap plastics around the interior EXCEPT the control on the radio, but i've accustomed to the steering controls that I've don't need to lay my fingers on the radio.
This car also comes with a starter button which proves to be useful when stalling. I've stalled the vehicle many times, and just by a dab of the clutch and pressing the starter the vehicle comes to life. But while doing that make sure you release the handbrake as the some might not be accustomed to the handbrake design which looks like an aircraft styled lever.
The built in Sony audio system sounds poor, perfect for classic and jazz, but anything else sounds tinny due to the lack of bass. This vehicle comes equip with the Ford Convers+ which is typically a premium color screen display on the dashboard, and its crappy. The colors are beautiful but the information it provides is a little lacking.
The front windscreen pillars also hinder visibility as they are quite thick and there 2 of them.
The 3rd row seats are so easy to deploy, and entry into it is not that much difficult as well. The seats offer good support and they are very comfortable even after 3 hours sitting in the car, furthermore they hold you firmly in place during spirited driving.
Ride and Handling
The S-max uses Independent McPherson struts in front and the popular Independent control blade suspension arrangement at the back which is the similar arrangement on a Ford focus. The result is great handling and comfort.
This 7 seater van corners so much better than most saloon does and it now ranks 1st in my list for its great handling, and its ride quality, until i've tested the Mercedes Benz R-class that is.
While driving on a twisty section of the road, the front end of the vehicle feels light and agile which is probably due to the electronic steering, while the rear feels very stable and planted. If all hell broke loose, the ESP will intervene and keep the car going on its desired direction. The car also rolls very little around corners and my passengers didn't felt sick when i drove it around the hills of Snowdon.
The ride quality is also very good, bumps are soaked up relatively well by the suspension, and it goes pretty well over Britain cobbled roads without rattling my passengers too much.
Engine
The engine is little gem, and this duratoq unit produces a massive 340Nm of torque which means overtaking is effortless and this engine is also very smooth. There's no noticeable turbo lag, and the turbo kicks in at a relatively low (around 1800rpm), but it feels quite linear, no sudden turbo rush or whatsoever, and the only thing that's going to stop you from revving ever higher is when it reaches 5000rpm, it will start to rattle, and it sounds like the turbo is going to fly out from its housing.
During high speed run on highways, i could easily overtake cars at 6th gear, even with a boot full of luggage and 7 passengers on.
The fuel consumption is also relatively good, and returning around 45 miles for every gallon of fuel.
Conclusion
This S-max is definitely recommended for those who's shopping for a small 7 seater MPV, its quite easy to park, its comfortable, its powerful, its sporty and it looks great. Everything that a thinking family man needs!!!.
pros:
-Powerful engine
-Great handling and ride comfort
-quite spacious when the third row seats are not present
-looks great
Cons:
-Radio sucks
-Trip computer doesn't display enough information
