BERIBU-RIBU DIJANGKA HILANG PEKERJAAN

AFP melapurkan kenyataan kementerian bahawa 15,000 pekerja di Malaysia telah kehilangan kerja sejak enam bulan lepas bila kemelesetan ekonoomi A.S. mula menggigit. 8% dari mereka terlibat dalam sektor eketronik dan perkilangan. Kira-kira 21% ekspot Malaysia menuju ke Amerika - dan pergantungan yang begitu besar ini menyebabkan Malaysia mudah tergugat.

NST pula melapurkan 7,000 dijangka hilang kerja di P. Pinang sahaja dalam beberapa bulan yang akan datang. Ketua menterinya memberi jaminan akan melaksanakan program untuk menanganinya - tetapi tidak diterangkan pula dengan terperinci bagaimana.

Menteri Sumber Manusia, Fong Chan Onn memperakui kemelesetan ekonomi A.S. memberi IMPAK MAJORITI kepada industri elektronik dan semi konduktor. Beliau memberi jaminan ada 32,000 lagi kekosongan dan peluang di tempat lain dalam 3 bulan ini. Tetapi perhatikan akhbar perdana apakah ada atau tidak sebenarnya.

REKOD TERENDAH DUA TAHUN SUDAH TERCECAH

Hari ini BSKL merudum sakam memecah rekod yang agak membimbangkan. Indeks ditutup pada di bawah paras terendah 2 tahun sudah, iaitu 594.26. Menurut Reuters, pelabur menjual saham blue-chips TMT (Telekom, Maybank, dan Tenaga) kerana merasa nilai sebenarnya terlalu mahal dan tidak sepadan. Banyak saham syarikat yang lebih kurang dengan mereka merosot, jadi amat pelik mengapa ia begitu tinggi. Menurut seorang analis - 'Tiada tempat untuk bersembunyi dalam ekuiti pada saat ini'. Memang benar - saat-saat begini hanya yang kuat sahaja dapat bertahan. Itupun kalau sudah ribut yang mendatang buat apa simpan-simpan - bikin bunuh diri sahaja. Lebih baik dijual sekarang kalau tidak nanti jatuh berdepap sehingga tidak mampu bangun lagi.

MALAYSIA PALING TERUK TERJEJAS

Jangan lupa Mahathir pernah berkata indeks BSKL bukan gambaran sebenar keadaan ekonomi negara - tetapi mengapa kerajaan asyik menggelabah bila meragam angka-angkanya? Malah pakej rangsangan baru-baru ini turut mengambil kira faktor saham dengan menaikkan had pinjaman. Malah Mahathir juga berkeras akan mengekalkan kawalan matawang. Kini pelabur semakin sangsi apakah ringgit dapat bertahan kerana Malaysia amat memerlukan ekspot kembali gemilang tetapi nilai ringgit menyebabkan barangan kita lebih mahal dan tidak kompetetif serta kalah saingan.

Menurut Edgedaily, kejatuhan BSKL adalah yang PALING TERUK berbanding bursa lain dirantau ini. Maknanya kita sebenarnya yang PALING LEMAH bila musibah terjadi kerana bursa sebenarnya disokong oleh sesuatu yang tidak berdasarkan realiti serta lebih kepada memperjudi.

MAHATHIR TIDAK FAHAM

Mahathir mengatakan beliau tidak faham mengapa keadaan pasaran Amerika menyebabkan pasaran Malaysia turut bermuram. Kalaulah sedar tidak faham, mengapa tidak meletak sahaja jawatan dan biar orang lain yang lebih pakar dan lebih faham menguruskan negara? Malaysia mempunyai penduduk yang cuma 22 juta sahaja dan bilangan ini tidak mampu berbelanja sakan untuk membantu semua kilang yang dikatakan amat canggih belaka tetapi lupa permintaan pasaran terbesar (A.S.) boleh naik dan turun mengikut keadaan. Lagipun kuasa beli domestik oleh rakyat teramat terhad kerana kos hidup yang asyik mencanak.

Sejak memenangi pilihanraya lepas BN bukan sahaja telah menaikkan kos petrol, malah tarif air juga. Tidak lama lagi kita akan menjangkakan kos tambang LRT dan MAS akan turut dinaikkan juga dan rakyat juga nanti yang akan membayarnya kerana hutang dan rugi sudah mencecah berbilion angkanya setelah terbabas dipandu urus oleh kroni semua.

Mahathir sepatutnya faham sejak Tajuddin Ali 'dibuang', pelabur sudah bosan dan tidak yakin lagi negara mampu dipulihkan. Banyak syarikat Fortune 500 menggugurkan pekerja dan pengurus yang lembab tetapi Malaysia bukan sahaja membuang pengurus yang menyerlah tetapi menambah pula dengan yang bermasaalah. Patutlah sedikit kejutan di A.S. menyebabkan habis semua gundah dan randah...

http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/010404/3/m0ah.html

Wednesday April 4, 5:13 PM

Malaysia Stocks- Tumble on growth, currency fears

Malaysian stocks tumbled, sending the benchmark index to a two-year low, on fears of a worsening global economic slowdown and devaluation of ringgit currency.

The Composite Index <.KLSE> fell 6.15 percent, its biggest percentage drop in nearly one year, to 594.26 points.

Malaysia's three largest stocks -- Tenaga , Telekom and Maybank -- bore the brunt of the sell-off as investors deemed them expensive compared to their regional peers and given the gloomy economic outlook.

Exporters such as chipmakers MPI also slumped on concern they will be among the worst-hit by a global economic downturn.

Dewina , a food company controlled by a brother of Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, rose after it unveiled plans to buy a toll road operator from MTD Capital, which will emerge as Dewina's new controlling shareholder.

http://www.bizedge.com.my/article.cfm?id=2907

KLCI hardest hit regionally, likely to dip further

By Joycelyn Lee, 8.32pm

The KLSE Composite Index, which broke past the 600-point psychological barrier today to close at a new two-year low, is expected to dip further amidst fears of the ringgit being re-pegged and expectations of a global recession.

Although the KLCI is usually cushioned from sharp falls and generally experiences a last-minute lift in trading, it was the hardest hit in the region today following sharp falls in Wall Street.

It lost 6.15 per cent, ahead of Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index, which slid 520.51 points or 4.14 per cent to 12,062.71, and Singapore's Strait Times Index, which lost 22.12 points to 1,621.99.

Analysts anticipate the KLCI, which nosedived 38.91 points to 594.26 today, to test the 550-point level soon, as regional markets continue to slide and fears of a possible US recession increase.

'There is nowhere to hide in equities at the moment,' said an institutional dealer with a local brokerage, adding that he expects the KLCI to find some buying support at 550.

He added that the three stocks with the biggest market capitalisation - Tenaga, Maybank and Telekom - may test new lows as they are still seen as relatively overweight and have been outperforming the KLCI.

The three counters - which collectively make up about 35 per cent of KLCI's market capitalisation - hit new three month lows today as foreign funds continued to dump blue chips in anticipation of an economic slump in the US.

'In times like these, cash is king,' said an analyst with a foreign research house. He also said although the market may slide further due to a possibility of the ringgit being re-pegged, a re-pegging may work out for the better over the long term.

'In reality, there may be a very real pressure to re-peg the ringgit if regional currencies fall further, especially the yen. If Malaysia does not do it, we may end up less competitive compared with the rest of the region,' he said. However, the government only last week gave its assurance it would maintain the current peg.

The analyst also noted that despite the peg, Malaysia remained very vulnerable as most of its exports go to the US or Japan - the first of which may be heading towards a recession while the second is already in an economic quagmire.

'Looking at market behaviour, it may be soon,' he said, when asked when the ringgit may be re-pegged.

However, another analyst pointed out that there could be a silver lining in the dark economic cloud, as the KLCI is realigning itself to more 'realistic' levels.

'The good news is the index is realigning itself to proper levels after being supported. If prices fall and shares become undervalued, the market would become attractive fundamentally and this would attract bargain hunters,' he said.

http://www.theedgedaily.com/article.cfm?id=2910

b>421 counters hit new lows

By Joycelyn Lee, 10.16pm

Four hundred and twenty one counters hit new lows for this year after the KLSE Composite Index nose-dived to a new two-year low of 594.26 points today.

The 421 counters include the KLCI's top three heavyweights Tenaga, Maybank and Telekom, which collectively make up a third of the index's market capitalisation.

The country's leading bank Maybank crashed to a 22-month low while national utility Tenaga dived to an 18-month low today. Maybank closed at RM10.80, below its previous low in June 1999. Tenaga closed at RM9.90 with its previous low in October 1999, while Telekom ended at RM9.85 with its previous low last September.

Although most counters affected were middle capitalisation companies and second liners, several index-linked counters also took a massive beating as foreign investors dumped blue chips today.

Semiconductor manufacturer MPI, a favourite of analysts and foreign investors during the run-up of the technology stocks early last year, took a beating today to close at RM10.10.

National car distributor EON was not spared as well. The counter closed at RM6.45 today. AMMB Holdings Bhd hit its low at RM2.71 for this year

http://www3.bernama.com/web/businessbm/pe0404_5.htm

April 04 , 2001 23:13PM

Wang Tunai Sebabkan BSKL Jatuh

KUALA LUMPUR, 4 April (Bernama) -- Harga-harga saham di Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur (BSKL) jatuh menjunam hari ini kerana pelabur-pelabur berinstitusi bertukar kepada wang tunai daripada pelaburan ekuiti, kata seorang peniaga.

Katanya pertukaran itu bukan sahaja di pasaran tempatan tetapi juga di rantau ini dan ini boleh dikaitkan dengan kebimbangan bahawa pasaran yang lemah akan menghakis selanjutnya pelaburan modal mereka.

Pertukaran kepada instrumen tunai seperti bon menghakis saham-saham mewah, termasuk Tenaga Nasional, Maybank dan Telekom.

Ketiga-tiga kaunter mewah itu menyumbang lebih separuh daripada kerugian Indeks Komposit hari ini.

Tanda aras Indeks Komposit (CI) jatuh sebanyak 38.91 mata kepada 594.26 manakala Indeks Emas seluruh saham ditutup lebih rendah kepada 139.56, turun sebanyak 7.08 mata.

Sentimen pasaran semasa sebahagiannya disebabkan tinjauan masa depan ekonomi yang suram disebabkan kelembapan ekonomi AS, kata seorang peniaga.

Langkah-langkah yang diperkenalkan oleh kerjaan baru-baru ini dilihat sebagai fokus jangka panjang dan kekurangan inisiatif jangka pendek.

Di bawah RRJP3, permintaan dalam negeri, terutamanya pelaburan swasta akan diperkukuhkan untuk mendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi, sepanjang 10 tahun akan datang.

Kejatuhan hari ini melepasi paras sokongan 615 mata tetapi pasaran berjaya mengekalkan paras 600 mata seketika.

Bagaimanapun, penjualan besar-besaran ke atas beberapa kaunter saham mewah termasuk Maybank, Tenaga Nasional dan Telekom meruntun CI kepada 599.31, iaitu kejatuhan 33.96 mata atau 5.363 peratus pada pukul 3.38 petang.

Pasaran berjaya mengekalkan pada 603.86 pa pukul 4.03 petang tetapi merosot semula, untuk berlegar sekitar 601 mata dan 600 mata sebelum akhirnya ditutup pada 594.26.

CI mencatatkan paras tertingginya pada 627.05 pada loceng pembukaan sebelum merosot terus menjelang waktu rihat tengah hari.

Peniaga itu, bagaimanapun, berkata bahawa CI tidak mungkin turun ke bawah paras 580. -- BERNAMA

http://news.catcha.com/my/content.phtml?1&010&&afpnews.cgi& cat=malaysia&story=010404133052.s462kkco.txt

Thousands of Malaysian workers laid off as US slowdown bites

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (AFP) - About 15,000 workers in Malaysia have lost their jobs in the past six months as the US economic slowdown starts biting, a minister said Wednesday.

Eighty percent of those laid off worked in the electronic and manufacturing sectors, Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn said.

Fong, quoted by Bernama news agency, said the US slowdown had a major impact on electronic and semiconductor firms.

He said a task force would formulate a strategy to deal with the situation. "We want to be pro-active and don't want to be caught unawares."

Fong said redundant workers could find jobs in other sectors since there were more than 32,000 job vacancies in the first three months. Alternatively, they could apply for financial aid to study new job skills.

Last week, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed unveiled a three-billion-ringgit (789 million dollar) supplementary budget to shore up the local economy.

Almost 21 percent of Malaysia's exports go to the United States, making it highly vulnerable to the economic slowdown there.

http://www.emedia.com.my/z/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/ NewsBreak/20010404150118/Article/pp_index_html

PENANG

Alt jobs for 7,000 soon-to-be retrenched workers

by Ismail Hashim (ismailh@nstp.com.my)

The State Government will find alternative jobs for an estimated 7,000 factory workers in the State who are expected to be retrenched over the next few months.

"We are very concerned with their welfare and that of their families," Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said today.

Speaking at the monthly gathering of civil servants at the Komtar Dome here, Koh said: "We will help them. We are working on this with the Federal Government."

He did not give any details, but it had been reported that the State Economic Recovery Task Force has outlined a plan of action in bracing for a slowdown in the manufacturing sector in the light of the US economic slowdown.

On Monday, State Economic Planning, Human Resource Development and Education Committee chairman Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon said the strategies to reduce the hardships of the workers, included re-deploying laid-off workers in the services sector such as in the hospitality industry.

Another option was to help the retrenched workers set up small businesses.

Koh stressed that multi-nationals as well as local manufacturers should make good the "current situation" to re-train or send their workers for further training on the various skills.

Also, he said, civil servants should remain resilient in facing the challenges brought about by the economic slowdown.

"Civil servants are duty bound to remain committed to their work," he said.

Koh reiterated that the current economic situation was more serious than the economic crisis during 1997-98 because it involved the manufacturing sector.

The regional economic crisis then, he said, affected the various stock markets in the region, but did not affect the manufacturing sector or other sectors of the economy.

"The problem now is affecting the manufacturing sector worldwide and it has a direct effect on the workers," he said, adding that Malaysia, which practices an open economy, was prone to any "hiccup" in the world economic activities as well as the regional stock markets.

Commenting on the Third Outline Perspective Plan (OPP3), Koh said the 10-year social-economic plan, was timely.

OPP3 is further proof of the Government's commitment to ensure continued socio-economic prosperity for the people.

"It will help us to achieve Vision 2020 where our nation can reach greater heights in all aspects of life including science, technology and spiritual growth," he said.