BNM mengumumkan rezab antarabangsa negara telah susut sebanyak $340 juta sejak penghujung April untuk mencecah nilai $26.10 bilion - satu paras terendah sejak 29 bulan lepas (Disember 1998). Berbanding dengan tahun lepas, nilai ini kurang $8.06 bilion. Tiada sebarang huraian atau sebab terperinci diberikan kenapa ia menurun sedangkan pada pertengahan April lalu ia naik sedikit.

Menurut BNM lagi jumlah aset dan liabiliti adalah sebanyak RM 133.08 bilion pada 15 hb Mei berbanding RM 134.89 bilion pada 30hb April. Tahun lepas ia berjumlah RM 160.15 bilion.

Sila rujuk jadual di bawah untuk butiran terperinci.

Komen:

Jika gejala ini berterusan sehingga perhimpunan agung nanti isu ekonomi dijangka akan menjadi buah mulut perwakilan - jika ia tidak menjadi peluru untuk menghentam menteri yang berkenaan. Mungkin sebab itulah Daim tidak pasti untuk berada dalam perhimpunan agung nanti kerana dia memang tidak mempunyai jawapan yang dapat diterima oleh orang Umno sendiri. Sudah tiada kambing hitam di sini melainkan dirinya sendiri. Sekarang ini pun buku mengenai Daim sudah kehabisan - sekaligus membayangkan dia tidak akan dipertahankan oleh 'teman seperjuangan' kerana apa yang tersirat di dalam hati sebenarnya amat lain dari apa yang terserlah di permukaan. Itukan budaya tradisi Umno yang asyik berpura asalkan mendapat sesuatui yang diimpikan.

Keadaan ekonomi yang meragam masakini akan turut menjejaskan pemimpin UMNO sendiri kerana ramai antara mereka turut terlibat bermain dengan saham atau menerajui beberapa kilang. Malah komisyen yang diterima pula mungkin sudah berkurang kerana banyak taukey kini sudah kerugian dan ada yang kehabisan wang. Meminjam dari bank pula sudah sukar kerana penggabungan bank telah menyebabkan bank tercekik oleh hutang lapuk yang semakin bertambun.

Sejak akhir-akhir ini banyak rekod buruk sudah kembali tercecah. Saham syarikat gergasi seperti TNB baru sahaja terhempas pecah. Telekom pula sudah menyusul walaupun belum lagi pecah. Segala rancangan untuk menyelamatkan ekonomi nampaknya tidak menjadi walaupun dengan formula Mahathir sendiri. Yang sengsara nanti bukan rakyat sahaja tetapi pemimpin UMNO sendiri kerana merekalah yang banyak bermain di sini. Tidak guna menyesal kali ini kerana penyelamat sebenar ekonomi dan kekayaan negara sudahpun dinyahkan dengan restu mereka sendiri. Rasakanlah segala kepahitan ini kerana terlalu mementingkan diri sendiri sehingga sanggup membunuh kaum sendiri. Kekayaan yang sudah menghilang itu tidak akan dapat diganti melainkan terpaksa menunggu berpuloh-puloh tahun lagi sedangkan usia yang ada sudah tidak mencukupi.

-Ringkasan/Ulasan Kapal Berita-

http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/010522/3/pt85.html

Tuesday May 22, 6:54 PM

Malaysia's Bank Negara reserves hit 29-month low

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Reuters) - Bank Negara Malaysia's gold, foreign exchange and other international reserves fell $340 million since the end of April to stand at $26.10 billion -- the lowest level since December 1998.

Reserves are down $8.06 billion on year ago levels.

The central bank did not give any reason why the slide in reserves has restarted after a shortlived rise in the second half of April.

Reserves still cover around four months imports and are around five and a half times the country's short term external debt.

Bank Negara Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said last week the downtrend in reserves was due to a combination of import payments, repayment of external debt and significant increases in overseas investments by Malaysian corporates as well as portfolio outflows.

The bank gave no details on the reasons behind the decline for the latest two week period reported.

There was speculation early last month that the continued erosion of reserves could force Malaysia off its 3.8 per dollar fixed exchange rate peg -- established 2 ½ years ago in the wake of the Asian financial crisis.

Zeti, in an interview with Utasan Malaysia newspaper, denied rumours she was planning to resign after just one year in the job.

She said the rumours were started by "certain quarters wanting to instigate instability".

Her denial came amid growing uncertainty about potential changes in Malaysia's economic management team.

Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin, who is taking an extended break due to tiredness, told journalists on Tuesday it was too early for him to decide whether he would return to his job.

Mounting speculation that Daim is on his way out did not hurt the stock market. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange's top 100 index ended up 0.39 percent at 556.52 points -- less than nine points off its low for the year so far.

Foreign investors pulled almost $3 billion out of Malaysian markets in the latter half of 2000.

Disillusion with Malaysia was reflected in Morgan Stanley Capital International's decision, announced at the weekend, to slash the country's weighting in its world stock index -- which is used by as a guide by investors to allocate their funds.

Political uncertainty, doubts over the ringgit peg's durability, concerns about corporate governance standards and worries over the lack of progress in restructuring debt-laden corporates have deterred investors.

The economy has also been hit by a sharp fall in demand for exports, particularly electronic goods, from the United States and Japan.

The central bank said total assets and liabilities were 133.08 billion ringgit on May 15 compared with 134.89 billion ringgit at April 30. A year ago they totalled 160.15 billion ringgit.

(In bln ringgit)	May 15, 2001	Apr 30, 2001	May 15, 2000
Reserves	99.18	100.46	129.82
Assets	133.08	134.89 1	60.15
Currency	23.36	23.59	22.23
Govt paper	0.24	0.24	0.19

http://livenews.lycosasia.com/cgi-bin/get.pl? pi_news_id=650241&pi_ctry=my&pi_lang=en

Malaysia's Intl Reserves-2: Total Assets At MYR133.1B

(MORE) Dow Jones Newswires 22-05-01 0900GMT

Total Assets At MYR133.1B

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's central bank Tuesday said its international reserves fell to $26.1 billion as of May. 15, from $26.4 billion as of April 30.

The central bank also said total reserve assets dropped to MYR133.1 billion ringgit ($1=MYR3.80) May 15, below the level recorded April 30 of MYR134.9 billion.

Currency in circulation was also down at MYR23.4 billion, from MYR23.6 billion two weeks earlier.

Bank Negara Malaysia said its gold, foreign exchange and other reserves totaled MYR99.2 billion, also lower than the MYR100.5 billion registered April 30.

Bank Negara Malaysia generally comments on the data a few days after the statistical figures are made public.

The central bank recently attributed the bulk of the decline in reserves to Malaysian investments abroad and debt repayments.

Analysts are closely watching the data for signs that the government's decisions to abolish the 10% exit levy on repatriated investment portfolio profits and to lift some restrictions on property ownership for foreigners are beginning to turn the tide of international reserves outflows.

-By Monica Houston-Waesch, Dow Jones Newswires; 603-2692-5254; nikki.houston@dowjones.com