Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Feeling Good about the 'Feel Good' Economy?


The Barisan Nasional Government led by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has over the past 2 months inundated the local media and press with news of supposed economic achievements by the current administration.

The long list which has included factors such as record combined import-export trade figures, record 'approved' foreign investments, near-record stock market performance as well as GLC turnaround case studies, is meant to build up the all important 'feel-good' factor for the fast approaching General Elections.

This factor is so important that the Prime Minister has openly declared that the elections will not be within the next 2 months because he needed the feel good factor to feel even better.

The DAP believes that the Economy certainly plays a crucial role in any general elections. Hence, we have invited a panel of speakers to share with you their thoughts on the state of the Malaysian economy, which will cover a wide range of hotly debated topics such as the stock market, foreign investment, corporate governance and not least the New Economic Policy.

The panel of speakers for the forum include:
  • Dr Ho Kee Peng, prominent entrepreneur and academic
  • YB Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader & MP for Ipoh Timur
  • Mr Lim Guan Eng, Secretary-General of DAP
  • Mr Tony Pua, Economic Advisor to DAP Secretary General (yes, that's me! ;))
PKR Treasurer, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was originally slated to speak. Unfortunately, he was not able to reschedule his return trip from overseas.

The details of the forum are as follows:
Date : 21 March 2007 (Wednesday)
Time : 7.30 pm
Venue : KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
Invite your friends and family along, and forward this post to others who are interested ;). So come, let us know if you feel the feel-good factor. And don't forget to say 'hi!'

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't the DAP do better than fielding two of its own senior politicos---LKS and his son---whose "economic" credibility might be in question.

A much better forum would be to invite speakers with much more experience in economic matters than political ones.

One problem with Malaysia's economy is that politics and economics get too intertwine, resulting in an inefficient economic system with various special political interest. I don't see how a DAP forum of this sort would send the right message.

Anonymous said...

In view of the coming elections DAP should have started MEMBER CARI MEMBER BARU campaign aggresively so that the number of DAP supporters will increase exponentially

Anonymous said...

Forum DAP ini ada kasi makan free tak?
:)

Anonymous said...

To anon 9:42,

If you want free food, go to UMNO, MCA, MIC, or Gerakan forum. But that free food will cause you stomach ache, heart ache, spirit ache and soul ache.

Go to DAP forum to get to free your mind from the colonization of BN...

Anonymous said...

DAP banyak lokek dan kedekut!

Anonymous said...

Hi Tony,

I tend to agree with the first comment - while I have high respect for both the Lims esp LKS, DAP could have done better by inviting people like Dr Lim (of the ASLI fame) or any other people who is perceived as an independent thinker/intellectual rather than an opposition.

You know - perceptions...of course you know.....

Golf Afflicted said...

Hi Brian,

Come listen and decide for yourself if they know their economics ;) Don't forget that Guan Eng's qualified accountant, so he would know a thing or two about numbers ;)

And umm.. well, economics without a trace of politics will be a little boring, wouldn't it? ;)

See you guys later ;)

Tony

Anonymous said...

Hi Tony,

My comments is not to cast doubts on either Lims knowledge in the economy.

As I said, I respect them and I respect them becos they know what they are talking about.

I am looking into the positioning of the talks. Is DAP trying to reach a wider audience? Or just the same old faces? I know you know what I mean so I dont think I should elaborate further.

I am writing to emphasise that I am not belittling the Lims grasp on the current economy. They are great people who have make sacrifices.

B4 anyone berate me - i am not affiliated to any political party!

Anonymous said...

If you are talking about feel good economics, then I think the government definitely feels good about one thing that boost their coffers - the making of passports in the country.

I had just gone down to renew my passport - 64 pages/book. If anyone has gone to renew their passports or apply for a brand new one, they would know the following:-

A 32-page costs RM300/book.

A 64-page costs RM600/book.

From my last look at the counters, averagely there could be 300 applicants a day. If you are just looking at them making a 32-page passport, that's

Revenue a single day = RM300 x 300 = RM90,000/day.

Let's say average working days a month = 22 days,

Revenue a single month = RM90,000 x 22 = RM1.98million/month

Revenue a year = 12 x RM1.98million = RM23.76million/year

How many passports centres are there in the country? Do the maths. (Haven't even considered those dudes making the 64-pages ones) That's one real money spinner for a feel good economy. How much does a passport costs to make anyway?

Why burden the rakyat? If I am not mistaken, the original idea of hiking passport fees was to stem outflow of the ringgit (discourage people from travelling) during the financial crisis. That's like quite sometime back. But there's no adjustment downwards since then.

Anonymous said...

Dear Tony,

From the way you answer comments on your blog, you sound like a very humble and receptive to opinions kind of person. Which is so great considering you are such a successful person. This is so refreshing compared many bloggers who are so arrogant and unreceptive to different opinions even though the bloggers themselves are not successful people.

You write very well too and the topics are well thought of. Hope you will organise more economic topics at yr damansara centre and I will love to come by and listen.

Keep up the good work ! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Reading the comments by Anon 10.40 will make TP 'kembang buntut' he he
but I have to agree with him!

Keep up the good work Tony...the 'DAP cicak man'

Anonymous said...

Tony, you wrote : " Don't forget that Guan Eng's qualified accountant.."

But you forget that he has yet participated in any corporate or business world before, he is still carrying the standard Accounting textbook only ..

Anonymous said...

TP: would you, or someone who attended the talk be able to help you, maybe blog the gist of the discussions yesterday for those of us who can't attend?

Anonymous said...

Tony: the pride of us geeks :D