Latest news with #AnasAbuHassan
Barnama
3 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Semiconductor Sector To Benefit From Supply Chain Focus In 13MP
BUSINESS By Anas Abu Hassan & Nur Athirah Mohd Shaharuddin KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) – Malaysia's semiconductor industry is poised to benefit from the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), as the government seeks to strengthen the country's role in the global supply chain. UniKL Business School economic analyst Associate Professor Dr Aimi Zulhazmi Abdul Rashid said the five-year plan comes at a pivotal time, amid shifting global trade patterns driven by geopolitical tensions and protectionist measures such as the United States' tariff policies. 'The semiconductor industry, which is the largest contributor within the manufacturing sector, is expected to spearhead Malaysia's climb up the global value chain. 'In light of current US tariff headwinds, it is critical to position Malaysian manufacturers as key global players,' he told Bernama in an exclusive interview. Aimi Zulhazmi said the 13MP should also outline clear strategies to advance Malaysia as a producer of high-end chips for artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced electronics. He added that the plan must align with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, which targets a six per cent growth in manufacturing's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), particularly through exports. Boosting National Competitiveness
Barnama
3 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Set Up New Ministry Or Central Body To Implement 13th Malaysia Plan Effectively
BUSINESS By Anas Abu Hassan & Nur Athirah Mohd Shaharuddin KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- An economist has called for the setting up of a new ministry or central agency to specifically monitor and coordinate the effective implementation of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and to develop measurable milestones to ensure the plan's long-term sustainability. Making the call, Malaysia Institute of Transport (MiTRANS) director and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) associate professor Dr Wan Mazlina Wan Mohamed said such a body would serve as a central coordinating agency to drive long-term, whole-of-government reforms effectively. She emphasised that annual progress reports should be published to promote transparency and track outcomes. "Plans should not be implemented without proper oversight," she said. To address these issues, Wan Mazlina said that the proposed ministry or central agency would be able to consistently monitor policy implementation progress over the next decade. 'This particularly includes developing measurable milestones and conducting periodic reviews to ensure the sustainability of the policy,' she told Bernama. She cautioned that without such a coordinating body, the implementation of development programmes under the 13MP would continue to suffer from fragmented execution, with different agencies and ministries working in silos and lacking coordination. The absence of measurable outcomes, she added, also makes it difficult to assess a policy's effectiveness.
Barnama
22-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Economists: 13MP Aims To Boost Malaysia's Competitiveness Through High-value Manufacturing
BUSINESS By Anas Abu Hassan & Nur Athirah Mohd Shaharuddin KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- The 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) is expected to enhance Malaysia's competitiveness by promoting high-value manufacturing through business and investor-friendly policies, say economists. Putra Business School Associate Professor Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff said that the 13MP, which serves as an indicative plan from 2026 to 2030, will help stimulate both domestic and foreign investments through policy reforms and incentives. 'The 13MP can position Malaysia as a leader by leveraging existing strengths in manufacturing and semiconductors, driving regional integration through ASEAN frameworks and adopting strategic regional positioning. 'It should also aim for the advancement of the semiconductor value chain and enhance regional supply chain resilience while not forgetting sustainability and inclusivity among the local businesses,' he told Bernama. The 13MP document is scheduled to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat sitting on July 31 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In addition, Ahmed Razman said the five-year strategic plan should also promote automation through incentives for technology adoption, support for workforce transitions, and clear and stable policies. 'The 13MP should accelerate digitalisation by investing in digital infrastructure, providing incentives for digital adoption, creating ecosystem and collaboration, as well as strengthening cybersecurity and data governance,' he added. Meanwhile, Sunway University economics professor Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the 13MP should prioritise creating and enabling an environment for free markets to thrive and for private enterprises to innovate, compete, and prosper.
Barnama
17-07-2025
- Business
- Barnama
US Dollar Seen Weakening Over Next 12 Months, Ringgit, Asian Equities To Benefit
BUSINESS By Anas Abu Hassan KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- A weakening US dollar is expected to continue benefiting the ringgit and Asian equities going forward, albeit with a volatile outlook in the second half of 2025 (2H 2025), according to Standard Chartered Bank. Its senior investment strategist, Yap Fook Hien, noted that the bank is not expecting the greenback to bounce back in the near term as most of the weakening has already been factored in. "Our view is that the US dollar will be weaker at least for the next 12 months because of the cyclical factors, and we expect it to be lower as our target is that the US Dollar Index (DXY) would slip to 96 points. "But it is also important to note that we are not looking at a collapse of the US dollar. Our forecast is for 12 months, so beyond that we are going to see how the economy develops and grows, but for the moment we do not see a bounce back," he said in a press conference on the 2H 2025 global market outlook. According to Yap, the bank has identified key themes for investors to consider in the remaining half of the year against the backdrop of dollar weakening, including an overweight on global equities with a tilt towards Asian markets excluding Japan. "The weak US dollar will be positive for equities, and essentially, when the dollar is weak, the Asian ex-Japan equity markets tend to do well. Our two preferred markets are China and South Korea equities," he said. Standard Chartered Malaysia's head of managed investment and advisory, Ng Shin Seong, said he believes the ringgit will continue to trade range-bound between 4.20 and 4.30 against the US dollar as much of the greenback's weakening has already been priced in. He reckons that the interest rate differential between the United States and Malaysia will also narrow down, given the recent pre-emptive rate cut by Bank Negara Malaysia on its overnight policy rate (OPR) as well as the expectation of US interest rate cuts in the coming months. Standard Chartered Malaysia's head of wealth and retail banking, Harmander Mahal, said in a statement that despite ongoing global trade shifts and geopolitical tensions, global equities have remained robust, rising eight to 10 per cent quarter-to-date. "This reflects sustained investor confidence and a reacceleration in risk appetite, particularly across Asia, where emerging markets benefited from stronger capital inflows and currency tailwinds.
Barnama
24-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Ringgit Firmer Vs US Dollar At Opening
By Anas Abu Hassan and Fatin Umairah Abdul Hamid KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- The ringgit inched higher at the opening today amid ongoing geopolitical worries and despite a firmer greenback after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) decided to keep interest rates unchanged, an analyst said. At 8 am, the local note climbed to 4.2435/2650 against the greenback from yesterday's close of 4.2500/2550. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US dollar was mostly higher overnight after the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously decided to keep the Fed funds rate unchanged at 4.25 to 4.50 per cent. "The Fed is concerned over the risk of higher inflation and they need to stay vigilant while the Middle East conflict remains unsettled as the possibility of the United States participating in the Israel-Iran military conflict remains high," he told Bernama. He said the ringgit had depreciated against the US dollar on Thursday by 0.22 per cent following a greenback rally, and that investors were also wary of the next hurdle, which would be the end of the 90-day tariff pause period in early July. "On that note, we shall expect the ringgit to stay soft in the near term as sentiments in the market remain guarded," he added. At the opening, the ringgit traded higher against a basket of major currencies. It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.9276/9426 from 2.9322/9359 at Wednesday's close, strengthened versus the British pound to 5.6922/7211 from 5.7218/7285, and advanced against the euro to 4.8698/8945 from 4.8888/8945 previously. The local note was also better against its ASEAN counterparts.
