The hard economic indicators suggest that there are enough bright spots in the world economy to justify guarded optimism about prospects in our region for the rest of this year. Against this, however, there are several potential perils around us that, if realised, would cause us grief. Regional e...

My Say: Global economic outlook is a glass half full, half empty

The drums of a trade war are beating. Investors may be underpricing how damaging the trade outcomes could be over the next year or two to the Asian region. The US and Europe are complaining about overcapacity in China, which they say causes surging Chinese exports that damage their economies. Chi...

My Say: Why we should fear a trade war

The surging US dollar has sparked much concern about where currencies in Asia are headed. The devastation caused by the Asian currency crisis of 1997 remains fresh in many minds. So does the “taper tantrum” of 2013 when the Indonesian rupiah, Indian rupee and Philippine peso all swooned simply because the US Federal Reserve was thinking of tightening its monetary policy.

MySay: Asian currencies can withstand a rampant US dollar

In a world of depressing news headlines, how is the Southeast Asian region faring? An examination of the risk environment leads us to a few key assessments.

First, being one of the main arenas for US-China contestation, this region is exposed to potentially nasty scenarios if big power ...

My Say: How risks have changed in Southeast Asia

Indonesia has had a good run in its 10 years under President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). The economy has withstood a series of challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the worldwide inflation surge, the spike in global interest rates and the Ukraine crisis. Growth has been fairly steady and the rup...

My Say: Challenges for Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo to overcome

For the longest time, Vietnam was the “in” thing. Foreign investors gushed over its low-cost but hard-working labour force. Even more impressive was how hungry those young Vietnamese were, with their keenness to learn and upgrade themselves, endearing them to foreign investors. Though nominally c...

My Say: Vietnam at risk of losing its shine

The US is such a colossus that it has outsized effects on the rest of the world. Despite many challenges, it remains the world’s largest economy and so its market matters more for Asian exporters than others. Its technological prowess and innovations in business models are unchallenged. Listed Am...

My Say: US election casts cloud over Asia’s economies

It was not very long ago that there were laments about the “savings glut” in Asia. Excessive savings by Asians were blamed for creating the easy monetary conditions in the US that eventually precipitated the global financial crisis in 2008. Others claimed that the same Asian tendency to over-save...

My Say: The return of global imbalances could hurt Asia

Multilateral agencies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been updating their economic forecasts of late. In most cases, caution has dominated their perspectives, preoccupied as they are with a range of risks, from the geopolitical to financial and nature-related risks...

My Say: Risks may not be so bad for Asean region

For many of us in Southeast Asia, the conflict in Myanmar seems far away. There has been limited spillover from the fighting into other parts of the region except for the immediate border areas in Thailand. Neither has there been a flood of refugees and, so far, foreign investors have not been sc...

My Say: Myanmar is burning, posing a challenge for Asean

It’s a reality that most Malaysians are facing financial challenges due to several factors

Fusion Finance by IBPO to Help Malaysians with Financial Challenges

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has again trimmed its stake in BYD, the Chinese company that last year surpassed Tesla as the world's largest electric vehicle maker.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway trims stake in China's BYD

China launched an anti-dumping probe into pork imports from the European Union (EU), in a narrowly targeted measure that’s the latest move in simmering trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels.

China starts anti-dumping probe into EU pork imports

UBS Group AG said it would give investors of Credit Suisse funds linked to the collapse of Greensill Capital a significant proportion of their money back, as the Swiss bank looks to clear through the legacy issues of its former rival.

UBS offers to pay investors 90% for funds hit by Greensill

Online comics platform Webtoon Entertainment said on Monday it is targeting a valuation of up to US$2.67 billion (RM12.60 billion) in its initial public offering (IPO) in the US.

Naver's Webtoon Entertainment aims up to US$2.67b valuation in US IPO

Australia and China will take steps to improve military communication to avoid incidents, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after meeting Premier Li Qiang on Monday, in the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in seven years.

Australia's Albanese, China's Li hold talks on trade, rights

Hong Kong’s tycoons are seeing their skyscrapers lose rental values by as much as a third, amid the worst commercial property market slump in more than a decade.

Li Ka-shing’s Hong Kong tower sees rental value drop 33% since 2019

The country’s two largest political coalitions are being strategic by fielding local candidates in the upcoming Sungai Bakap state by-election, which will officially commence on Saturday (June 22).

No clear favourites in Sungai Bakap by-election, say analysts

Businessman Tan Sri Halim Saad has filed an appeal against the High Court's decision last month to strike out his lawsuit against the government, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop over the government's acquisition of a 32.69% stake in Renong Bhd from United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM) in early 2000.

Halim Saad files appeal over High Court decision in UEM-Renong suit

Adidas AG is investigating allegations of corruption in China after receiving an anonymous letter exposing potential compliance violations by some employees.

Adidas opens fraud probe in China after whistle-blower letter

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has again trimmed its stake in BYD, the Chinese company that last year surpassed Tesla as the world's largest electric vehicle maker.

The country’s two largest political coalitions are being strategic by fielding local candidates in the upcoming Sungai Bakap state&nbsp;by-election, which will officially commence on Saturday (June 22).

Businessman Tan Sri Halim Saad has filed an appeal against the High Court's decision last month to strike out his lawsuit against the government, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop over the government's acquisition of a 32.69% stake in Renong Bhd from United Engineers Malaysia Bhd (UEM) in early 2000.

PUTRAJAYA needs to take the “realistic approach” in tackling issues that are cropping up as a result of population ageing, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in his opening speech at the International Social Wellbeing Conference 2024 (ISWC2024) in Kuala Lumpur on June 4, noting that Mal...

The State Of The Nation: Race against time to find funds for universal pension, retirement reforms 

Hong Kong’s tycoons are seeing their skyscrapers lose rental values by as much as a third, amid the worst commercial property market slump in more than a decade.

SOCIAL activist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as “Uncle Kentang (Malay for potato)” among the people he serves, probably had most people taking mental notes of two things he said at the International Social Well­being Conference 2024 (ISWC 2024) in Kuala Lumpur last week.

First being how...

The State Of The Nation: Heart-wrenching old-age reality bites from lack of planning, social safety nets

The online ambassador initiative, introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT),&nbsp;does not involve additional costs, said Minister&nbsp;Nga Kor Ming.

No additional cost incurred for online ambassador initiative, says housing minister

China launched an anti-dumping probe into pork imports from the European Union (EU), in a narrowly targeted measure that’s the latest move in simmering trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels.

Boutique developer Ancubic Group has announced a 90% take-up for the first phase of its first industrial development called A-Park Batu Kawan since its official launch on March&nbsp;11. The launch was officiated by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Spanning 20.5 acres and located eas...

A-Park Batu Kawan Phase 1 achieves 90% take-up

UBS Group AG said it would give investors of Credit Suisse funds linked to the collapse of Greensill Capital a significant proportion of their money back, as the Swiss bank looks to clear through the legacy issues of its former rival.&nbsp;

Online comics platform Webtoon Entertainment said on Monday it is targeting a valuation of up to US$2.67 billion (RM12.60 billion) in its initial public offering (IPO) in the US.

It’s a reality that most Malaysians are facing financial challenges due to several factors

Manu Bhaskaran

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Manu Bhaskaran

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