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Thursday 30 November 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte


Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte, also known as Digong, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 16th and current President of the Philippines. He is the first Mindanaoan to hold the office. Wikipedia
BornMarch 28, 1945 (age 72), Maasin, Philippines
Height1.68 m
Full nameRodrigo Roa Duterte
Presidential termJune 30, 2016 –
Previous officesMayor of Davao City (2013–2016), MORE

Ministry: Duterte’s way not for us
TheStar/Nation/November 29, 2017
MALAYSIA cannot go the Philippines way in tackling drug-related issues because it is against international convention, says the Home Ministry.
Deputy Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was unorthodox in his fight against the drug scourge but said the Govern­ment would not follow suit.
“We also do not want to take the kind of action that can affect human rights. If we follow, it will have implications at an international level, including economic sanctions,” he said when winding up the debate on the Budget 2018 allocation to the ministry.
Nur Jazlan was responding to a suggestion by Datuk Seri Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan), who said Malaysia should emulate Duterte in his actions.
Bung’s remark evoked strong protests from Opposition MPs who asked if he was being serious.
Duterte’s drug war has been criticised in the Philippines and internationally for its alleged summary executions, which has caused thousands of deaths from police operations.
It was reported that more than 14,000 people have been killed in the drug war since the policy was put in place this March.
On the investigation on Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad, Nur Jazlan said it was ongoing.
He said the Attorney-General’s Chambers had returned the investigation papers to the police and ordered them to probe the matter further in October.
Asked by Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) if a statement had been recorded from Dzulkifli and why there was a delay in solving the case, Nur Jazlan said he could not comment as it would be subjudice.
“The AGC was unhappy with the investigations by the police, so the case is still ongoing. So be patient,” he added.
Police are conducting a probe into a video which showed a man resembling Dzulkifli with a woman who is said to be married.

Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa

AFP/November 30, 2017
HARARE: Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa was set to be sworn in as president on Friday, marking the final chapter of a political drama that toppled his predecessor Robert Mugabe after a military takeover.
Mnangagwa, until recently one of Mugabe’s closest allies, will take the oath of office at the national sports stadium on the outskirts of Harare before thousands of supporters, dignitaries and foreign diplomats.
Snipers took up positions around the stadium amid tight security as jubilant Mnangagwa supporters streamed in, with many dancing as music played.
“We are excited and expecting a lot from Mnangagwa. We have been under a dictatorship for a very long time,” 23-year-old Sharon Mauyakufa said, referring to Mugabe.
“Mugabe is very old – we do not expect that he will be punished for his crimes. How do you punish a 93-year-old? But his wife and others must be charged if they committed crimes.”
The former president, who ruled the southern African country for 37 autocratic years, was ousted from office when the military intervened after he had sacked Mnangagwa as vice president.
“We thank you our soldier,” said one banner in the sports ground.
Mugabe is in increasingly frail health and had been positioning his wife Grace as his successor, but the army chiefs acted to halt the plan and usher in Mnangagwa.
State-run media had earlier claimed that Mugabe may even attend his successor’s swearing-in – but later suggested that after he and Mnangagwa talked about the inauguration, he agreed he “needed time to rest.”
Mnangagwa also “assured him and his family maximum security and welfare” for their future as private citizens and “appraised him of preparations for (Friday’s) inauguration,” the state-run Herald news site also reported.
Buses brought well-wishers to the 60,000-capacity stadium from the early hours of Friday.
“Come and be an eyewitness of history being made, the historic ushering in (of) a new era and better country,” said a statement from the ruling ZANU-PF party calling on people to attend the inauguration.
Mnangagwa, 75, said this week that Zimbabweans were witnessing “a new and unfolding full democracy“, though critics say he is a ZANU-PF hardliner who gained power in a de facto military coup.
He is known as “The Crocodile” for his ruthlessness and is accused of overseeing ethnic massacres by the army in the 1980s and the 2008 election violence when Mugabe was at risk of losing the vote.
Ahead of the inauguration, the army warned that criminals had been impersonating soldiers since the crisis to extort money from the public and called on Zimbabweans to obey the law.
Britain, the former colonial power, said it was sending Africa Minister Rory Stewart to the ceremony.
Regional heavyweight South Africa said President Jacob Zuma would not be present as he was hosting a visit by Angola’s new head of state.
Zuma praised Mugabe, noting “his contribution to the liberation of the Southern African region and the decolonisation of the continent.”
Mugabe had ruled since Zimbabwean independence in 1980, exercising almost total authority to crush any sign of dissent.
The majority of Zimbabweans have only known life under Mugabe – the world’s oldest head of state – during a reign defined by brutality, rigged elections and international isolation.
His iron grip on power ended on Tuesday when his resignation letter was delivered to parliament, where MPs had convened to impeach him.
Mugabe was last seen in public on Friday and gave a defiant televised address on Sunday.
Neither he nor his wife Grace has been seen since, though they are expected to be given protection by the government.
The main opposition group, the Movement for Democratic Change, said it was “cautiously optimistic” that Mnangagwa would not be as “evil, corrupt, decadent” as Mugabe.
In the week before Mugabe resigned, military vehicles rolled down Harare’s streets, army generals made a TV address in the early hours and tens of thousands of Zimbabweans demonstrated against the veteran leader.
Zimbabwe’s once-promising economy collapsed under Mugabe’s rule, and many hope Mnangagwa will push through reforms to bring in investment.
Unemployment is over 90 per cent, and in his first speech after being announced as the next president he promised “jobs, jobs, jobs!” — AFP

Kenya's fresh presidential election set for Oct 17
NST/November 30, 2017
NAIROBI: Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set Oct 17 for the court-mandated fresh presidential election after the results of the Aug 8 election were thrown out.
Kenyans will cast their ballots for a second time in the fresh presidential election after the Supreme Court nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election during the Aug 8 vote.
Chief Justice David Maraga on Friday declared Kenyatta’s victory “invalid, null and void“, pointing to widespread irregularities in the electronic transmission of vote results.
The IEBC said Monday that there shall be no fresh nominations, and the contest will only be between Jubilee party candidate President Kenyatta and his running mate Deputy William Ruto against the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition’s presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, and his running mater, Kalonzo Musyoka.
This locks out Third Way Alliance candidate Ekuru Aukot who had said he would participate in the fresh presidential election since it will not be a run-off.
IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the commission was revising the operational and procedural requirements for the conduct of the fresh election, and would reveal details to stakeholders in due course.
Chebukati added that the IEBC was awaiting the release of the entire Supreme Court ruling on the successful petition by NASA to annul the Aug 8 presidential election results to enable it to identify areas which will require improvement ahead the fresh contest.
He called for patience among Kenyans, saying the commission was committed to delivering a free, fair and peaceful election. – Bernama-NNN-KBC

Tuesday 28 November 2017

Economic and Economic Growth

Definition
What is an economic growth?
Increase in a country's productive capacity, as measured by comparing gross national product (GNP) in a year with the GNP in the previous year.
Increase in the capital stock, advances in technology, and improvement in the quality and level of literacy are considered to be the principal causes of economic growth. In recent years, the idea of sustainable development has brought in additional factors such as environmentally sound processes that must be taken into account in growing an economy.
Economic growth is an increase in the amount of goods and services produced per head of the population over a period of time.
Economic growth is the increase in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product, or real GDP…
The economic growth of a country is the increase in the market value of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. We define ...
What is 'Economic Growth' - Economic growth is an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, compared from one period of time to another. It can be measured in nominal or real terms, the latter of which is adjusted for inflation…

Read more…
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Tokyo: Malaysia and SoftBank Group Corp, one of the leading investors in cutting edge technology companies in the world...
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Definition of economic growthIncrease in a country's productive capacity, as measured bycomparing gross national product (GNP) in a year with ... Increase in the capital stockadvancesin technology, and improvement in the quality and level of literacy ... In recent years, the idea ofsustainable development has brought in ...
Increase in the capital stockadvances in technology, and improvement in the quality and level ofliteracy are considered to be the principal cause of economic growth. ... economic growth ismeasured by the Gross National Product (GNP) and the ... year) and measure the level and direction of a country's economic activity.
An increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, ... Economic growth can be measured in nominal terms, which include inflation, or in real ... For comparing one country's economic growth to another, GDP or GNP per ... A growing or more productive economy can make more goods and provide ...
Economic Growth is an increase in a country's real level of national output which can ... capacity, asmeasured by comparing gross national product (GNP) in a year with the ... Increase in the capital stockadvances in technology, and improvement in the ... In recent years, the idea of sustainabledevelopment has brought in ...
View Notes - Research 1 from ECON 101 at A.T. Still University. ... capacity , as measured bycomparing gross national product (GNP) in a year ... It is an increase in the capital stock ,advances in technology , and improvement in the quality and level of literacy are considered to be the principal causes of economic growth.
Key words: ICTs, Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction Strategy .... capacity, asmeasured by comparing gross national product (GNP) in a ... Increase in the capital stock,advances in technology, and ... are considered to be the principal causes of economic growth. Inrecent years, the idea of sustainable.
Economic growth and redistribution policies led to a significant ... The country's reliance on the hydrocarbon sector has sharply increased (oil ... a fiscal deficit estimated at 20 percent of GDP at the end of 2015, and ... by widespread distortions and uncertainty, causing the capital stock to shrink. ...Last Updated: May 02, 2017.
Despite improvements in life expectancy, incomes, and literacy since 2001, ... In 2016 Afghanistan'sgrowth rate was only marginally above that of 2014 and 2015. ... Inward FDI has increasedsignificantly in recent years as the government has .... The economy bottomed out that year, with realGDP 18% smaller than in 1998 ...
This article sets forth the complementary need for new measures. ... The deficiencies ofGDP as a measure are welldocumented by leading ... to reflect real, sustainable economic welfare, social development and human wellbeing. ... efforts are constantly being made to improve their power and precision.
country's economic progress has been changes in its Gross Domestic Prod- ... formation (the increasein value of a nation's total stock of monetized capital goods). ... The Gross National Product (GNP) is another frequently mentioned measure of .... However, over the last 70 years economic growthmeasured by GDP—has.

Shifting Tides:
At the National People’s Congress in Beijing in March 2015, China’s Premier Li Keqiang announced a growth target of 7 percent, acknowledging that “deep-seated problems in the country’s economy are becoming more obvious.”1Three months later and thousands of miles away in Washington, the World Bank lowered its growth forecasts across the board and asked the US Federal Reserve Bank to delay any contemplated rate hikes. The World Bank’s chief economist said that it had “just switched on the seat belt sign. We are advising nations, especially emerging economies, to fasten their seat belts.”2So it’s going to be a bumpy ride? How bumpy? And for how long?
Day-to-day developments in the world economy have become increasingly complex and global in their implications. Economic shocks, from Greece to China to Russia, are now of greater concern because around the world, traditional policy tools have already been used and financial resources depleted to help economies recover from the last downturn. Strategic decisions have become correspondingly more consequential. Shocks are inevitable, but strategists must find ways to extract the signals from the noise to understand what’s over the horizon.
Three interlinked factors have the potential to shift the global economy from one long-term outcome to another: aggregate demand, structural challenges, and diverging growth patterns. First, in the near term, the major economies continue to struggle to achieve self-sustaining growth in aggregate demand. This continues despite years of monetary and fiscal stimulus, as well as the recent drop in oil prices. Second, the world’s major economies face long-term structural challenges, including rising debt loads, aging populations, and inadequate or aging infrastructure. Success or failure in resolving these structural challenges will determine the speed of long-term growth in these economies. Third, the world’s major economies have increasingly diverged in the last few years. In the past, global integration has driven convergence. The prospects for further integration have become less certain. The global financial shock was followed by years of weak growth and concerns over rising inequality. The path to renewed and stronger growth remains elusive…read more>>

Bicara Ekonomi/Ekonomi Malaysia
Dr Zulkipiy Omar
Felo Penyelicfik Kanan Institut Penyelidikan Ekonomi Malaysia (MIER)
Eksport kasar dan import Malaysia tumbuh dengan pantas untuk sembilan bulan pertama 2017.
Ekonomi Malaysia untuk tiga suku pertama tahun ini tumbuh dengan lebih pantas di luar jangkaan.
Keluaran dalam negara kasar (KDNK) tumbuh dengan kadar tahunan 5.6 peratus, 5.8 peratus dan 6.2 peratus masing-masing untuk suku pertama, kedua dan ketiga.
Sehubungan dengan itu, MIER buat kali kedua menyemak unjuran pertumbuhan ekonomi un­tuk tahun ini sebanyak dua mata peratusan, dari 5.4 peratus kepada 5.6 peratus.
Sebelum ini pada Oktober lalu, MIER menaikkan unjuran per­tumbuhan ekonomi untuk 2017 dari 4.8 peratus kepada 5.4 pe­ratus berdasarkan prestasi suku pertama dan suku kedua.
Pertumbuhan di luar jangkaan oleh permintaan global yang tumbuh dengan sihat.
Keadaan ini antara lain disumbangkan oleh pertumbuhan yang lebih baik dari jangkaan untuk kebanyakan ekonomi utama dunia.
Ekonomi Amerika Syarikat (AS), Jepun dan kawasan euro tumbuh dengan lebih baik dari jangkaan awal, disokong oleh dasar fiskal dan kewangan yang efektif.
Dalam pada itu ekonomi China walaupun tumbuh lebih perla­han, ia tidak terlalu perlahan ber- banding jangkaan awal.
Ekonomi besar lain juga turut mencatatkan pertumbuhan yang lebih baik, termasuk Russia, Bra­zil, Turki dan India.
Pertumbuhan yang sihat dalam kalangan ekonomi utama dunia mempengaruhi perdagangan glo­bal. Ini disebabkan oleh peningkatan permintaan domestik oleh ekonomi utama berkenaan.
Sekali gus, jumlah dagangan dunia menunjukkan peningkatan. Tabung Mata Wang Antarabangsa (IMF) menyemak semula unjuran pertumbuhan jumlah dagangan dunia untuk tahun ini dari jang­kaan awal sebanyak 4.0 peratus kepada 4.2 peratus setahun.
Peningkatan jumlah dagangan dunia turut memberi impak terhadap ekonomi Malaysia. Malay­sia adalah antara negara daga­ngan utama di dunia.
Pada 2016, Malaysia adalah ne­gara pengeksport barangan ke-24 terbesar di dunia. Pada tahun yang sama Malaysia adalah ne­gara pengimport ke-26 terbesar dunia.
Dari segi bahagian pasaran, Ma­laysia menyumbangkan 1.2 pera­tus kepada eksport barangan du­nia dan 1.0 peratus import ba­rangan dunia pada tahun lalu.
Selari dengan trend peningka­tan jumlah dagangan dunia, per­tumbuhan eksport dan import negara menunjukkan pertumbu­han dua angka sepanjang tahun ini.
Untuk sembilan bulan pertama 2017, eksport kasar Malaysia tum­buh pada kadar 21.6 peratus. Manakala, import kasar juga tumbuh dengan pantas pada kadar 22.4 peratus.
Import lebih pantas
Namun begitu, pertumbuhan im­port yang lebih pantas dari per­tumbuhan eksport dijangka akan mengecilkan lebihan akaun semasa di dalam imbangan bayaran negara pada masa terdekat.
Peningkatan aktiviti dagangan turut memberi kesan positif terhadap nilai ringgit. Permintaan terhadap eksport secara langsung akan meningkatkan permintaan untuk ringgit kerana untuk keperluan membuat bayaran.
Sejak Januari lalu sehingga ke minggu pertama November, ring­git meningkat sebanyak 7.1 pera­tus berbanding dengan dolar AS, antara mata wang yang mempunyai prestasi terbaik.
Namun demikian, nilai ringgit juga dipengaruhi oleh faktor lain, termasuk pertumbuhan ekonomi yang memberangsangkan serta sentimen yang lebih positif ter­hadap keadaan ekonomi dan politik negara.
Walaupun permintaan antara­bangsa memberi sumbangan se­cara langsung yang kecil terhadap KDNK negara, peningkatan per­mintaan antarabangsa mempe­ngaruhi aktiviti ekonomi domes­tik.
Peningkatan eksport dan im­port barangan mempengaruhi ak­tiviti pengeluaran. Ini seterusnya akan memberi kesan positif ter­hadap permintaan domestik melalui peningkatan peluang pekerjaan serta peningkatan jumlah pendapatan swasta.
Sumbangan langsung yang kecil dari permintaan antarabangsa terhadap KDNK disebabkan oleh kebanyakan barangan yang dieksport mempunyai nilai ditambah yang kecil.
Ini khususnya untuk barangan yang membabitkan nilai rantaian global. Barangan seperti ini bergantung kepada import barangan perantaraan separa siap yang seterusnya diproses menjadi bara­ngan siap untuk dieksport.
Sumbangan langsung yang kecil dari permintaan antarabangsa untuk KDNK boleh dilihat dari se­gi peratusan mata sumbangan ke­pada kadar pertumbuhan.
Umpamanya pada 2016, 3.9 ma­ta peratusan daripada 4.2 peratus kadar pertumbuhan KDNK disumbangkan oleh permintaan do­mestik manakala sumbangan dari permintaan antarabangsa adalah kecil, iaitu kurang dari 0.5 mata peratusan.
Di dalam menikmati pertum­buhan ekonomi yang baik, beberapa perkara berkaitan dengan keadaan makroekonomi juga perlu diberi perhatian yang sewajarnya.
Perlu diingat, pertumbuhan ekonomi negara rata-ratanya dipacu oleh permintaan domestik, terutama penggimaan swasta.
MIER mengunjurkan penggunaan swasta pada tahun ini akan tumbuh pada kadar 6.2 peratus. Kadar pertumbuhan ini adalah le­bih pantas berbanding dengan pertumbuhan pelaburan.
Penggunaan swasta tumbuh de­ngan pantas kerana peningkatan peluang pekeijaan, di samping peningkatan pendapatan boleh guna yang disumbangkan oleh pemberian kerajaan terutama da­lam kalangan golongan B40.
Pertumbuhan penggunaan swasta yang pantas mempunyai kesan sampingan yang perlu di­beri perhatian. Pertama, pening­katan hutang isi rumah terhasil dari perbelanjaan yang memba­bitkan kredit.
Impak peningkatan isi rumah
Peningkatan isi rumah yang tidak terkawal bukan sahaja memberi impak kepada penggunaan masa hadapan, malah mempunyai ke­san psikologi yarig negatif.
Oleh yang demikian, pendapa­tan isi rumah perlu dipertingkatkan dengan lebih pesat seelok- eloknya melebihi peningkatan perbelanjaan isi rumah.
Ini mampu dicapai dengan melipatgandakan pertumbuhan produktiviti.
Kedua, pertumbuhan perminta­an yang pantas akan menyum­bangkan kepada inflasi. Pada ma­sa yang sama, peningkatan harga minyak sejak kebelakangan ini ju­ga turut menyumbangkan kepada inflasi tolakan kos.
Jadi berkemungkinan kadar in­flasi akan meningkat dengan le­bih tinggi tanpa pengurusan yang sewajamya. Selari dengan itu, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) di­jangka akan menaikkan kadar faedah untuk memperlahankan permintaan domestik.
Justeru, kos pinjaman dijangka akan meningkat. Ini seterusnya memberi kesan kepada pengguna, di samping aktiviti pelaburan ju­ga akan menjadi lebih perlahan.


Projek Forest City
Projek mega pulau buatan tarik pelabur asing
Oleh Nurhayati Abllah
Matlamat pembangunan projek mega di atas pulau buatan itu adalah untuk menjadikannya sebuah destinasi pelaburan baharu bertaraf antarabangsa'
Md Othman Yusof,
Pengarah Eksekutif Country Garden Pacificview
Projek Forest City di Johor mahu menarik pelaburan bertaraf global dari seluruh dunia dan bukan hanya tertumpu kepada negara tertentu.
Pengarah Eksekutif Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV) Sdn Bhd, Datuk Md Othman Yusof, berkata matlamat pembangunan projek mega di atas pulau buatan itu adalah untuk menjadikannya sebuah destinasi pelaburan baharu bertaraf antarabangsa.
“Apabila ia bertaraf antara­bangsa, kami berusaha untuk menarik sebanyak mungkin pelabur luar untuk melabur di sini. Jadi, tidak timbul sama sekali soal menjual negara
kepada China seperti yang didakwasesetengahpihak sebelum ini.
“Memang majoriti (pelabur) China yang membuat pelaburan di sini iaitu menerusi pembelian hartanah dan sebagainya, tetapi ia tidak melambangkan menjual negara.
Peluang pelaburan
“Selain China, kita juga ada menerima pelabur dari negara lain seperti Bangladesh serta Filipina dan kami sentiasa membuka peluang pelaburan dari mana-mana negara,” katanya dalam satu temu bual bersama BH, NST dan TV3, di Johor Bahru, baru-baru ini.
Beliau berkata, pembangunan Forest City menyediakan lebih banyak peluang dan manfaat yang bukan hanya kepada rakyat serta ekonomi Johor, malah pada masa sama kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi Malaysia.
“Forest City adalah satu pembangunan berterusan yang mengambil tempoh masa 20 hingga 30 tahun. Ia bakal menjanjikan pulangan pendapatan yang lebih pada masa depan.
“Apabila kita bercakap mengenai pulangan pendapatan yang besar, ia akan pergi (disalurkan) kepada infrastruktur seperti keperluan pendidikan, hospital dan sebagainya yang mana ia akan berbalik semula (bermanfaat) kepada rakyat,” katanya.
Tegasnya, CGPV juga secara konsisten memasarkan Forest City ke peringkat global dan ia dilakukan menerusi pembukaan beberapa pejabatnya dan galeri di luar negara.
Pasaran global
“Kami serius mengenai pasa­ran ke peringkat global kerana tidak boleh hanya menyasarkan semata-mata kepada China tetapi perlu meninjau peluang lain yang berpotensi.
“Dalam sesebuah perniagaan, kita tidak boleh boleh hanya memfokuskan kepada satu pasaran sebaliknya diperluaskan untuk terus kekal berdaya saing,” katanya.
Setakat ini katanya, selain di China, CGPV turut membuka galeri di negara lain termasuk Jepun, Vietnam dan Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE).
Md Othman berkata, apa yang dibangunkan di Forest City sekarang ini adalah melangkaui daripada jangkaan dan dianggap berjaya mencapai matlamat.
“Dengan tarikan Forest City, secara keseluruhan kami ber­jaya menarik kira-kira 160,000 pelancong dari seluruh dunia tahun lalu dan secara purata setiap seorang membelanjakan antara RM3,000 hingga RM5,000.
“Malah menerusi penjualan unit kediaman, sejumlah 20,000 unit sudah dijual dalam tempoh hampir dua tahun, iaitu pada 2016 dan tahun ini,” katanya.

POST GE14
StarBiz/17 May 2018
By Daneil Khoo.
Foreigners have been selling since the GE
Investors seem to be divided over the outlook for the market in the immediate term, with foreigners “playing it safe” and having mostly been net sellers post-election, while locals have stepped up to be net buyers on Bursa Malaysia.
The refreshed political environment after the 14th General Election (GE14) is reflected in the action being seen in the stock market over the past few days, according to observers.
“What we have seen from market data is that foreigners have been selling some RM800mil worth of shares on Bursa on Tuesday following a round of selling on Monday when the markets reopened,” Pong Teng Siew, Interpacific Research’s head of research, told StarBiz.
“However, in the midst of the selling by the foreigners, we are seeing locals filling up the gap and being net buyers on Bursa as they believe that the future of the country has immediately brightened following the installation of the Pakatan Harapan government.
“I think we are seeing some kind of tug-of-war in terms of sentiment happening here,” he added.
The FBM KLCI, which comprises 30 large-capitalised stocks, continued to stride upwards, gaining 0.54% or 10.06 points to 1,858.26 yesterday.
The broader market was more mixed with 492 gainers and 486 losers, 368 counters remaining unchanged and 535 counters untraded.
Some three billion shares worth RM2.91bil changed hands.
Stocks that attracted attention were MyEG Services Bhd and George Kent (M) Bhd  after Bursa froze the lower limit price for these stocks after they hit limit down for two consecutive days.
The regulator said in an announcement that the lower limit price for MyEG was RM1.27 and George Kent, RM1.94.
While local investors and the institutions were still enjoying the feel-good sentiment since May 9, the same can’t be said of the foreigners who had expected the status quo in terms of the outcome of GE14.
“Local investors are very optimistic on the possible reforms that would come about with Pakatan. They are buying big time and so the market is able to climb.
“For example, on Tuesday, the market was positive for most of the day. Only at the end of the day did foreigners decide to sell.
“The foreigners allowed the locals to exhaust their buying action until near market close,” Pong said.
The good sentiment continued when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was pardoned and released from prison followed by an announcement by the Finance Ministry that the goods and services tax (GST) would be zero-rated from June 1.
Earlier reports had quoted former Bank Negara governor and member of the Council of Eminent Persons Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz as saying that a strategy would be formulated within 100 days to remove the GST.
Analysts and observers were also expecting more details from the governemnt on improving the country’s overall fiscal position in the absence of the GST.
“The statement by Zeti helps assuage some of the fears that the foreigners have as they would like to know how the budget gaps would be filled.
“A hundred days can be a long time for the stock market and key ministers including the Finance Minister have not yet been formally installed,” Pong said.
“The reason behind the apprehension by foreigners is mainly due to the promise to remove the GST and pare down spending on mega projects.
“Overall, it is good for the economy to reduce the country’s indebtedness and borrowings, but foreigners are probably thinking that it would affect the country’s growth prospects.
“They bought into the market earlier for the country’s growth story,” he added.
Other observers said that the growth story appeared to be mostly funded by debt, which would entail interest payments.
Pong noted that foreign investors wanted more clarity on how gaps in the country’s budget would be filled.
He also said that repairs on the country’s finances could take time.
“We can’t say how big or difficult it would be, but there are indications that a lot of work would be involved and the damage to the country’s finances by the previous administration is extensive.
Thus, repairing the finances of the country would take time,” Pong said.
“I believe the market would laud measures that would give the country the most bang for our buck. So, we need to find new revenue sources.
“It’s still early days but in the meantime, bond markets have also weakened somewhat and the Malaysian bond yields have climbed.
The new government needs to take wise measured moves as quickly as it can to instil confidence among investors,” he said.