Apakah Mahathir dan Daim memang pandai mengemudi ekonomi negara? Angka yang terpapar di hari muka bakal membuat mereka tidak dapat lagi mendabik dada. Kesan kelembapan ekonomi A.S. dikatakan tidak seberapa tetapi banyak angka sudah lari dengan begitu jauhnya. Ini bukan lagi tak seberapa - tetapi memang ada apa-apa.

Ekonomi Malaysia amat bergantung kepada dua benda: minyak dan sektor elektronik. Sektor elektronik menggaji banyak pekerja - dan kebanyakkan kilang-kilangnya berada di negeri yang kuat Umnonya dan teman-teman BN nya. Sudahlah harga barang semakin naik, mata pencarian berkurang pula. Kepada siapa mereka akan mengadu dan bercerita?

EKSPOT MALAYSIA TERGUGAT OLEH KELEMBAPAN

Ekspot elektronik merupakan separuh (50%) dari ekonomi dan komponen elektronik menyumbang 2/3 ekspot negara. Permintaan pasaran kini semakin berkurang dan ekonomi tumbuh 6.5% sahaja pada suku ke 4 tahun 2000 - satu pencapaian yang terlembab sejak 1 1/2 tahun sudah.

Menurut Bloomberg, Malaysia akan dihinggapi kesan kelembapan ekonomi di A.S. kerana negara itu merupakan pengimpot terbesar. Malaysia memasarkan 1/5 dari barangnnya ke A.S. sahaja, dengan semikonduktor dan barang elektronik menyumbang 60% darinya. Intel dan Motorola tidak terkecuali menghadapi krisis permintaan.

Lapuran statistik menunjukkan ekspot masih menurun (Jan susut 7%), sejak 4 bulan berturut-turut dari bulan September. Walaupun penghantaran barangan letrik dan eletronik masih meningkat 14%, kadarnya adalah terendah sejak Julai. Lebihan dagangan pula mengecil sebanyak satu pertiga pada bulan Januari - satu rekod yang paling teruk sejak 3 tahun sudah.

-TJr Kapal Berita-

http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?
ptitle=Economies&s1=blk&tp=ad_topright_econ& T=markets_fgcgi_content99.ht&s2=blk&
bt=ad_position1_economies&bt2=blk&
middle=ad_frame2_economies&s=AOqxjXRZoTWFsYXlz

Malaysia Jan. Trade Surplus Narrows on Weaker Exports (Update1)

By David Yong

Kuala Lumpur, March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's trade surplus narrowed by a third in January to its lowest in almost three years as exports of electrical and electronics products to the U.S. faltered.

The surplus shrank to 3.1 billion ringgit ($816 million) from 4.6 billion ringgit a year earlier, the Department of Statistics said. Exports increased 10 percent to 28.1 billion ringgit, while imports rose twice as fast to 25 billion ringgit.

Like other Asian countries, Malaysia is vulnerable to the economic slowdown in the U.S., a major buyer of the region's electronic and electrical products. Malaysia ships one-fifth of its goods to the U.S., with semiconductors and other electronic goods making up some 60 percent of the total.

``The trend is weakening across Asian electronic exporters,'' said Prakash Sakpal, an economist at ING Baring Securities in Hong Kong. The narrowing surplus ``will persist during the first half of 2001.''

U.S. customers like cellular phone company Motorola Inc. and chipmaker Intel Corp. have been cutting orders for Malaysian components as the U.S. economy softens. January's trade surplus is the smallest since February 1998, when Malaysia fell victim to the regional economic crisis.

Falling Exports

The picture is worse than it appears, Sakpal said. January's exports look strong compared with the same month of 2000, when exports slumped following a surge of orders resulting from efforts to stave off millennium bug-related computer problems.

Compared with December, Malaysia's exports fell 7 percent in January, the fourth consecutive monthly decline after peaking at 34.9 billion ringgit in September.

Shipments of electrical and electronic products rose 14 percent to 16.1 billion ringgit in January from a year earlier, the slowest pace since July.

Imports of intermediate and capital goods used to make finished products both rose in January, the department said.

Intermediate goods rose 15 percent to 18.1 billion ringgit, while capital goods surged 48 percent to 4.2 billion ringgit.

Imports of consumer goods expanded 7 percent to 1.4 billion ringgit, probably because of higher food purchases from China and Taiwan related to the Chinese lunar new year festival, economists said.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?
ptitle=Securities%20Firms%20News&b1=ad_bottom1& br=blk&tp=ad_topright&T=wealthstory.ht& s=AOqwV6hORTWFsYXlz

Malaysian Stocks May Fall for a 4th Day, Led by Unisem, MPI

By J.S. Dhaliwall, T.H. Chan and Adeline Lee

Kuala Lumpur, March 12 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysian stocks may fall for a fourth day, led by Unisem Bhd. and other chipmakers after Intel Corp. forecast lower sales, fueling concerns demand for Asian-made goods will falter.

On Friday, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index fell 1.16, or 0.17 percent, to 695.26. For the week, the index fell 4.1 percent. The broader KL Emas Index lost 0.77, or 0.48 percent, to 160.81.

The following shares may be active on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. Share prices are from Friday's close unless otherwise noted.

Chipmakers may drop after Intel Corp. said first-quarter sales will fall 25 percent from the fourth quarter, rather than the 15 percent forecast previously. That helped send the Nasdaq Composite Index 5.4 percent lower on Friday, fueling concerns demand for Asian-made computer-related components will slow. Unisem Bhd. (UNI MK ), the country's second biggest publicly traded chipmaker, rose 10 sen, or 1.3 percent, to 8 ringgit. Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd. (MPI MK ), the nation's biggest publicly traded chipmaker, was unchanged at 16.30 ringgit.

Banks may fall on concern a slowing economy will force lenders to boost provisions to offset bad loans, crimping profit. Malayan Banking Bhd. (MAY MK ), the country's biggest bank, rose 20 sen, or 1.4 percent, to 14.20 ringgit. AMMB Holdings Bhd. (AMM MK ), the fifth largest lender, fell 8 sen, or 2.5 percent, to 3.18 ringgit. Hong Leong Bank Bhd. (HLBK MK ) fell 4 sen, or 1.2 percent, to 3.24 ringgit. Public Bank Bhd. (PBK MK ), the country's fourth largest lender, fell 2 sen, or 0.6 percent, to 3.28 ringgit.

Construction stocks may be active after the government said a group of Malaysian companies which have yet to be identified will build a 4.5 billion ringgit ($1.2 billion) container port in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Road Builder (M) Holdings Bhd. (RBH MK ) rose 4 sen, or 1.6 percent, to 2.62 ringgit. IJM Corp. Bhd (IJM MK ) fell 9 sen, or 3.1 percent, to 2.84 ringgit and Gamuda Bhd. (GAM MK ) fell 4 sen, or 1 percent, to 3.94 ringgit.

John Hanc##k Life Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd. (JOHN MK ) may be active. The company denied a Business Times newspaper report that it had bought back its shares on March 7. The insurer said the high volume of shares traded that day was due to the purchase of shares in the open market by its parent, John Hanc##k International Holdings Inc. John Hanc##k fell 5 sen, or 2 percent, to 2.30 ringgit.

Time dotCom Bhd. (TDC MK ) may be active in its trading debut. The company raised 1.89 billion ringgit ($497 million) from the sale of 572 million shares at 3.30 ringgit each in Malaysia's biggest stock sale in more than five years. Investors bought only a quarter of the shares, forcing the underwriters to pick up the unsold portion.

Commerce Asset-Holding Bhd. (CAHB MK ) may be active. The owner of Malaysia's second-biggest bank bought back 183,000 shares for 1.3 million ringgit, or between 7.05 ringgit and 7.25 ringgit a share. Commerce Asset rose 5 sen, or 0.7 percent, to 7.25 ringgit.

Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd. (HAP MK ) may be active. The Malaysian food and plantations company bought back 129,000 shares for 261,386 ringgit, or between 2.00 ringgit and 2.02 ringgit a share. Hap Seng was unchanged at 2.03 ringgit.

OSK Holdings Bhd. (OSK MK ) may be active. The stock brokerage bought back 68,000 shares for 117,805 ringgit, or between 1.71 ringgit and 1.75 ringgit a share. OSK fell 2 sen, or 1.1 percent, to 1.73 ringgit.

Utama Banking Group Bhd. (UBG MK ) may be active. The banking group said it has ``no knowledge'' of the speculation that it will receive contracts from the Bakun Dam project as published in the Malaysian Business Times newspaper. Utama fell 7 sen, or 4.9 percent, to 1.37 ringgit.

YTL Cement Bhd. (YTLC MK ) may be active. The cement maker bought back 14,000 shares for 43,097 ringgit, or between 3.04 ringgit and 3.10 ringgit a share. YTL Cement fell 2 sen, or 0.7 percent, to 3.08 ringgit.