Malaysia raises sugar subsidies as elections draw nearer
(KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia has more than doubled subsidies on sugar, a government source said yesterday - a sign that Prime Minister Najib Razak may be delaying economic reforms to appease voters ahead of elections.



DRB-Hicom plans RM8b residential project in Johor
MALAYSIAN conglomerate DRB-Hicom has announced plans to commence work on a 485ha property project in Johor by the middle of this year, adding to the large number of developments already there.



Investors jump into arowana breeding venture
(KUALA LUMPUR) Michael Liu smiled broadly and wished a customer 'Happy Chinese New Year' after he cashed in a RM1,000 (S$413) sale at his shop here.



Leading index signals weak M'sian recovery
A RESEARCH unit of a leading Malaysian bank said yesterday that Malaysia's economic recovery is likely to remain weak as its leading index - an index it tracks that signposts the economic trend going forward - fell 1.5 per cent last November.



Legoland M'sia targets a million visitors
(JOHOR BARU) Legoland Malaysia is projecting its nearly-completed theme park to attract a million visitors during its first year of operation.



Guessing game on who to lead Proton begins
IT may still be early, but the guessing game on the man to lead Proton Holdings Bhd into a new era has begun after Khazanah Nasional, the Malaysian government's investment arm agreed to sell its controlling 42.7 per cent stake in Proton to DRB-Hicom for RM1.29 billion (S$528 million).



Who cares what the erratic rating agencies think?
PERHAPS we should no longer bother with what the rating agencies have to say; investors don't seem to anyway. When Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgraded the United States' AAA rating, billionaire Warren Buffett scoffed, saying the US should be given a quadruple A rating instead. And more people have faith in Mr Buffett than the rating agencies because he has been more consistent over a longer period.



M'sia's 2012 growth seen missing target
(KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia's growth will probably miss the government's forecast this year amid the faltering global economy, according to the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research.



Capital flight seen if Najib stumbles
A PROMINENT regional economist said yesterday that Malaysia could witness capital flight if Prime Minister Najib Razak did not succeed in making real gains for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the next general election.



Malaysia's central bank gets tough on household credit
(KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia's central bank seems to be living by the old adage that its job is to take away the punch bowl just as the party gets going.



Rubber glove makers 'overweight': AMMB unit
A MALAYSIAN research house has called an 'overweight' on rubber glove makers ahead of its industry peers, citing increased margins from declining latex prices and a weakening ringgit.



Khazanah's portfolio slips to RM108.1b
(KUALA LUMPUR) The investment portfolio of Malaysia's state strategic investment arm, Khazanah Nasional, fell slightly to RM108.1 billion (S$44.4 billion) at the end of last year from RM112.6 billion at the end of 2010, its managing director Azman Mokhtar said yesterday. Khazanah has been aggressively scaling back its holdings in the South-east Asian country's top companies as part of a government strategy to boost liquidity in the stock market and lighten the state's heavy hand in the economy.



M'sia inflation slows to nine-month low in Dec
(SINGAPORE) Malaysia's inflation slowed to a nine-month low in December, giving the central bank scope to leave interest rates unchanged for a fourth meeting this month to support growth as the world economy falters.



AmResearch re-rates Public Bank, calls a buy
A POSTPONEMENT of stricter capital management rules by Bank Negara Malaysia and a move towards a new 'fair value' accounting system has resulted in the re-rating of the country's Public Bank by a research house because of the possibility that the moves will boost the bank's earnings, book value and dividend payouts.



No hard landing for Asia: Maybank CEO
(KUALA LUMPUR) As fear of a spillover from the European debt crisis looms in other parts of the world, the CEO of Maybank Investment Bank, Zafrul Aziz, said that there would be no risk of a hard landing in emerging economies in Asia this year provided that China remains strong.



M'sia beats 2011 investment target
(KUALA LUMPUR) Private investment in Malaysia beat the government's target last year with International Business Machines Corp and Toshiba Corp among companies pledging to further spend in Southeast Asia's third-biggest economy.



Run state-backed ventures with clear guidelines
THE heat is on for the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC). And rightly so.



KTMB inches closer towards privatisation
(KUALA LUMPUR) National railway company Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) could be closer to being taken private by MMC Corp Bhd, after it was asked to assist in conducting due diligence on its business starting this month.



Pengerang gearing up to become regional oil storage hub
EARMARKED as an up- and-coming oil storage hub for Asia, Johor's Pengerang is expected to see a step up in activities this year, with Malaysian companies led by Petronas committed to investing tens of billions of ringgit there.



M'sia's exports growth hits 4-mth low
(SINGAPORE) Malaysia's exports grew at the slowest pace in four months in November, and well short of forecasts, as sales of electrical and electronic goods to the US and Thailand fell.



RHB, OSK IB merger closer
PREVIOUSLY a merger target, RHB Bank is poised to become a standalone bank and the largest broker in Malaysia, as its merger negotiations with OSK Investment Bank (OSK IB) come within sight of completion.



Florida ruling a boost for Genting's casino plans
(TALLAHASSEE, United States) Florida would become the most populous state with full casino gambling outside American Indian control under a proposal that has cleared its first legislative hurdle.



Anwar's acquittal good for Malaysia: WSJ
THE acquittal of Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Monday will improve the country's prospects of becoming a more mature, resilient democracy, a foreign newspaper oftentimes critical of the country said yesterday.



Johor's Nusajaya draws up tough security plans
NUSAJAYA could arguably be one of the most guarded residential areas in Malaysia going by security plans being put in place.



PLUS to issue biggest sukuk of RM30.6b
A MEGA RM30.6 billion (S$12.6 billion) sukuk issuance by highway operator Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama Bhd, or PLUS, this week will boost Malaysia's Islamic finance credentials notwithstanding the aggregation exercise behind it.

Petrarch
"Love is the crowning grace of humanity."

Ovid
"Happy are those who dare courageously to defend what they love."

Oscar Wilde
"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life."

Olivier Martinez
"Love is based on imagination."

Yogi Berra
"You should always go to other people's funerals, otherwise, they won't come to yours."

Winston Churchill
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."

Will Rogers
"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for."

Walter Winchell
"Hollywood is where they shoot too many pictures and not enough actors."