Posted in Economics on July 25th, 2012 1 Comment »
Several new points were raised with regards to my post on duties and cars yesterday. One was pollution, two was government revenue and three, in one way or another, income effect. It is not exactly income effect but close enough. Concern number one is easy. But let us state the pollution concern. The concern is [...]
Posted in Economics on July 24th, 2012 3 Comments »
I advocate the abolition, or at least a significant reduction of import duties (and other excessive taxes) on cars as well as the abolition of the approved permits system that blow up the prices of foreign-manufactured cars to an outrageous level. This should come at no surprise because I am a libertarian. I do generally support freer [...]
Posted in Economics on June 29th, 2012 2 Comments »
It appears that protectionist sentiment within the steel industry just will not just die down. Earlier last year, Megasteel unsuccessfully lobbied for a levy on steel imports. That was shot down because users of steel protested. Megasteel, being the sole domestic producer of flat steel (used mainly for vehicles and major appliances), in its eagerness [...]
Posted in Economics on March 25th, 2012 6 Comments »
The articulation of concern for stagnating wages is well-rehearsed among Malaysians who are just entering the labor force as well as those earning low wages. For most fresh graduates especially, life in the city would be far more painful than it is without the support of their parents. Regardless of justification, many have complained about [...]
Posted in Economics on September 19th, 2011 2 Comments »
The sale of Esso Malaysia by ExxonMobil to San Miguel of the Philippines is a done deal. But it was not completed before economic nationalists sounded the alarm. They feared foreigners would seize control of strategic assets within the country while seemingly ignorant of the fact that ExxonMobil is a US-based multinational corporation in the first place. [...]
Posted in Economics on March 25th, 2011 2 Comments »
The Food and Agriculture Organisation recently warned food prices are at record levels in both nominal and real terms since the entity first published its Food Price Index in 1990. The International Monetary Fund stated this is unlikely to be a temporary trend. Rice generally has not shown the kind of increase exhibited by other [...]
Posted in Economics on July 10th, 2010 1 Comment »
Malaysian national carmaker Proton celebrated its 25th anniversary yesterday. In conjunction of the celebration, Prime Minister Najib Razak said, as reported by The Star, “[i]f overcapacity is a limiting factor to the companies, should the process to merge automotive companies in Malaysia be done so that it will create a company that is stronger or bigger and [...]
Posted in Economics on September 9th, 2009 No Comments »
Opponents of economic liberalization fear, among many other things, the possibility of giant foreign companies dominating the local market at the expense of local businesses. For those who are simply interested in better quality goods and services, market liberalization introduces competition in the market to improve quality, much to the benefits of consumers. While the [...]
Posted in Economics on May 5th, 2009 2 Comments »
The Obama administration plans to tax US-based corporations for revenue not originated from the US as part of effort to create more jobs in the US.[1] This will help neither the US economy nor the world economy to recover. There are of course legitimate concerns with respect to tax havens as money laundering tend to [...]
Posted in Conflict & disaster, Economics, Science & technology on April 28th, 2009 No Comments »
Some people are panicking: KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) — In light of the swine-flu outbreak in Mexico, the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Association of Malaysia (FLFAM) has strongly urged the government to stop pork imports until the situation is resolved. FLFAM market development manager and veterinarian Dr Kaw Eng Sun Monday advised the government [...]
The name is Hafiz Noor Shams.
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