As the yen hits 140 against the US dollar, tourists are flocking to Japan for great sushi at affordable rates. In similar fashion, foreign investors have been clamouring for Japanese stocks recently, sending the benchmark Nikkei 225 index to three-decade highs following a year-to-date rally of ne...

Condivergence: Are Japanese assets undervalued?

The income tax authority anywhere is typically an unpopular agency to deal with, but Inland Revenue Board (IRB) chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Nizom Sairi is on a quest to change that, and hopes to instil public trust into the statutory body.

IRB takes a soft approach to widen the tax net

I have worked in the public sector for nearly 15 years now. During this time, I have always felt a sense of pride in being able to say that I serve the public; an idealistic notion that my wife — and primary stakeholder — has thankfully always understood and supported. Because my paymaster is ult...

my Say: The time has come for GovTech

ONCE again, Sino-US tensions have put Malaysia’s solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing industry in the countries’ crosshairs, amid US threats of sanctions against companies that use materials sourced from China.

Lawmakers in the US, where an estimated 20gw of PV capacity was inst...

Cover Story: US tariffs shine spotlight on Malaysian solar panel industry

With the enactment last year of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the US fully joined the rest of the world’s advanced economies in combating climate change. The IRA authorises a major increase in spending to support renewable energy, research and development and other priorities, and if estimat...

Unconventional Economic Wisdom: Western industrial policy and international law

THE softness in global trade has been apparent since the last quarter of 2022, extending into the first quarter of 2023. In Asean, this can be seen in the external trade data — specifically in export growth — where the impact is more pronounced in some countries than others.

The deceler...

Cover Story: RED FLAG FOR EXPORTS: Further contraction ahead

The New Straits Times was the daily newspaper of the family for most of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. My late father would add Mingguan Malaysia as a Sunday read. With 11 members in the household, waiting to read the newspapers was a long-drawn chore of waiting your turn. Getting to actually read it de...

my Say: Yusuf Islam, Coldplay and being judgmental

BETAMEK Bhd — an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) group that produces infotainment systems for the automotive sector, including for Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) — is looking at the healthcare and medical devices sectors to diversify its customer base.

In an exclus...

EMS player Betamek contemplates diversification strategy 

RADIUM Development Bhd will be the first property developer to list on Bursa Malaysia in two years when it makes its debut on the Main Market on May 31. Its initial public offering (IPO) will raise RM434 million, which will be used for land acquisition, working capit...

Radium Development says low gearing and high profit margin justify its rich valuation 

Arbitration, international or domestic, is often seen as an expeditious way to seek justice. And increasingly we see investment companies and finance houses offering funding to help people who take their disputes to arbitration. That is called third-party arbitration funding or financing.

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my Say: Third-party arbitration financing’s unholy shadow

Property overhang” is a term that is taboo in the real estate industry, where some believe that it gives the impression of a sector that is in dire straits. Simply put, a property overhang occurs when the rate of building exceeds that of take-up, culminating in a property supply-demand gap.
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The REAL deal: Give timely granular analysis on property overhang

INVESTORS and stakeholders are increasingly prioritising climate change and environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance. This has led to accountancy professionals emerging as key thought leaders in anchoring organisational sustainability, with their valued financial and non-financial in...

MIA Conference focuses on developing future fit accountancy professionals

This week marks exactly 10 years since I left my first job at Oriental Daily News and its sister publication The Busy Weekly, a Chinese financial and investment magazine which hit the streets in 2009, but sadly concluded its 14-year run with its final issue to be published on June 3.

Coffee Break: Never forget why you started

This week will be a short work week as Bursa Malaysia will be closed on Monday (June 5) in conjunction with the King’s birthday. But the economic data calendar points to key monetary policy decisions by Australia and India, as well as inflation readings from Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines and China.

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