837 Mukim Bakal Jadi Agen Perkhidmatan Syarikat Perbankan

KUALA LUMPUR: Sebanyak 837 mukim di seluruh negara bakal menikmati kemudahan perkhidmatan perbankan sebenar dengan mudah melalui perkhidmatan ejen perbankan yang akan diperkenalkan.

Source from (The Star Online): http://mstar.com.my/berita/cerita.asp?file=/2012/8/15/mstar_berita/20120815203858&sec=mstar_berita
Published: August 16, 2012

Ejen perbankan, merupakan satu insiatif yang diperkenalkan oleh Bank Negara, dengan menggunakan perkhidmatan bukan bank di kedai-kedai runcit, pejabat pos, stesen minyak dan syarikat komunikasi terpilih akan menyediakan perkhidmatan perbankan kewangan bagi pihak institusi kewangan.

Semua ejen perbankan rasmi perlu mempamerkan logo rasmi agen perbankan negara bersama-sama dengan logo penyertaan institusi kewangan berkaitan.

"Ejen perbankan ini merupakan saluran kepada penduduk-penduduk yang tinggal di kawasan luar bandar dan pendalaman yang tidak mempunyai akses kepada bank.

"Ini bagi memastikan setiap lapisan masyarakat mempunyai akses kepada perkhidmatan perbankan dengan mudah," kata Gabenor Bank Negara Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz semasa melancarkan logo perbankan agen negara di Bank Negara Malaysia di sini Rabu.

Malaysia's Q2 Balance Of Payments Records Lower Surplus Of RM9.6 Billion

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s current account balance for the second quarter of this year (Q2 2012) showed a lower surplus of RM9.6 billion, down from RM18.1 billion attained a quarter ago, the Statistics Department said.

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=688429
Published: August 16, 2012

It said performance for the quarter reviewed was weighed down by lower surplus recorded in goods account, which declined by RM6.4 billion to RM29.4 billion, and an increase of income account, which was RM3.1 billion higher to RM11.7 billion in.

Year-on-year (YoY), the surplus on current account was reduced by RM13.4 billion from RM23 billion a year ago. Under the goods account for Q2 2012, goods exports free on board (f.o.b) rose to RM177.7 billion from RM174 billion in the first quarter (Q1).

Goods import f.o.b improved to RM148.2 billion compared with RM138.2 billion in the January-March 2012 period, the department said.

As for the service account, export of services posted a slight surplus of RM28.9 billion against RM27.9 billion in Q1 2012.

Import of services also advanced by RM0.7 billion from RM31.7 billion a quarter ago.

In the current quarter, income receipts (credit) stood at RM9 billion from RM9.6 billion in Q1, while income payments (debit) posted RM20.7 billion from RM18.2 billion.

At the same time, the net payments on current transfer narrowed to RM4.6 billion from Q1’s RM5.3 billion.

Both receipts and payments surged to record RM2.3 billion and RM6.9 billion, respectively.

YoY, the net payments on current transfer declined by 13.8 per cent from RM5.3 billion last year.

On the capital account for Q2 2012, the department said it recorded a lower net outflow of RM67 million from RM166 million in last quarter, due to lower net outflow on both capital transfers and non-produced, non-financial assets by RM60 million and RM40 million, respectively.

In the quarter under review, the financial account turned around to a net inflow of RM5.4 billion from a net outflow of RM10.3 billion previously.

This movement was driven by a switch in both other investment (from -RM26.1 billion to +RM5.9 billion) and direct investment (from -RM9.4 billion to +RM3.5 billion).

YoY, the financial account showed a lower net inflow by RM46.1 billion to RM5.4 billion from RM51.5 billion registered in 2011.

Meanwhile, the direct investment turned to a net inflow of RM3.5 billion from a net outflow of RM9.4 billion last quarter.

Portfolio investment, however, reverted to net outflow of RM5 billion from a net inflow of RM25.3 billion previously.

Other investment in Q2 this year has moved from net outflow of RM26.1 billion to a net inflow of RM5.9 billion, while YoY, it recorded a higher net inflow of RM5.9 billion from RM1.2 billion.

The international reserves of Bank Negara Malaysia increased by RM12.7 billion to RM428.8 billion as at end-June 2012.

Pacuan domestik - BNM

MALAYSIA mencatatkan pertumbuhan Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) sebanyak 5.4 peratus pada suku kedua 2012 berbanding 4.3 peratus yang dicatatkan dalam tempoh sama tahun lalu yang dipacu permintaan dalam negeri lebih kukuh.

Source from (Harian Metro): http://www.hmetro.com.my/myMetro/articles/Pacuandomestik/Article/index_html
Published: August 16, 2012

Gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz berkata, permintaan domestik yang lebih kukuh disokong pertumbuhan dalam perbelanjaan kedua-dua sektor awam dan swasta, manakala jumlah eksport bersih direkodkan sederhana berikutan eksport yang lemah dan import lebih tinggi.

“Dari segi penawaran, kebanyakan sektor ekonomi utama terus berkembang yang diterajui sektor perkhidmatan, pembuatan dan pembinaan.

“Ini disokong aktiviti domestik dari sektor perkhidmatan iaitu komunikasi, hartanah dan perkhidmatan perniagaan dan subsektor kewangan insurans,” katanya pada sidang media di Kuala Lumpur, semalam.

Menurutnya, aktiviti berkenaan menyumbang kepada pembentukan modal tetap kasar kepada 26.1 peratus berbanding hanya 16.1 peratus yang dicatatkan pada suku pertama tahun ini.

“Penggunaan swasta mencatatkan pertumbuhan kukuh 8.8 peratus berikutan keadaan pasaran kerja yang teguh dan sentimen pengguna yang bertambah baik.

“Selain itu, inisiatif kerajaan seperti bantuan kewangan untuk isi rumah berpendapatan rendah dan peneroka Felda menjadi penyumbang kepada kenaikan perbelanjaan,” katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Zeti berkata, tawaran awam awal (IPO) bagi penyenaraian Felda Global Ventures Bhd (FGV) menjadi antara penyumbang kepada peningkatan dana daripada pasaran ekuiti.

“IPO bagi penyenaraian FGV yang juga kedua terbesar di dunia menjadi penyumbang terbesar kepada peningkatan dana iaitu sebanyak RM12.1 bilion berbanding RM1.3 bilion pada suku sebelumnya.

“Manakala, dana bersih yang diperoleh daripada pasaran modal berjumlah RM27.6 bilion pada suku kedua 2012 kebanyakannya dicatatkan daripada sektor swasta,” katanya.

Zeti berkata, ekonomi global terus pulih pada suku kedua tahun ini, namun pada kadar sederhana dan akan berdepan risiko yang semakin meningkat berpunca daripada perkembangan dalam beberapa ekonomi utama.

“Ketidakpastian mengenai dasar membelenggu krisis hutang kerajaan Eropah dan isu fiskal di Amerika Syarikat dijangka memberi kesan ke atas sentimen pasaran dan prospek pertumbuhan,” katanya.

DRB-Hicom’s Gadek gets BNM nod to start UAG, UAL stake disposal talks

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): DRB-Hicom Bhd’s unit Gadek (Malaysia) Bhd has
received Bank Negara Malaysia’s approval to commence preliminary
negotiations in relation to the possible disposal on its equity
interests in in Uni.Asia General Insurance Berhad (“UAG”) and Uni.Asia
Life Assurance Berhad (UAL).

Source from (The Edge Malaysia): http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/218771-drb-hicoms-gadek-gets-bnm-nod-to-start-uag-ual-stake-disposal-talks-.html
Published: August 16, 2012

UAG and UAL are respectively 68.1% and 100.0% owned by Uni.Asia Capital Sdn Bhd (“UAC”) which is in turn a 51.0% owned subsidiary of Gadek.

The remaining 49.0% equity interest in UAC is held by United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (UOB).

In a filing Wednesday, DRB-Hicom said Gadek had received expressions of interest from certain parties to explore the possibility of acquiring an equity interest in UAG and UAL.

It said Gadek, UOB and the relevant parties would be required to obtain the prior approval of the Minister of Finance, with the recommendation of BNM, pursuant to the Insurance Act, 1996 before entering into any agreement to effect the above disposal.

Malaysia's economy up 5.4% in Q2, manufacturing, demand support growth

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), for the second quarter ended June 30 rose by an unexpected 5.4% year-on-year, underpinned by an expansion in manufacturing and robust domestic demand.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/16/business/11865578&sec=business
Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (The Sun Daily): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/16/business/11865578&sec=business
/> Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=688413
Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (The Edge Malaysia): http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/218772-malaysias-gdp-grew-54-y-o-y-in-2q-beats-forecast.html
Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (The Edge Malaysia): http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/218777-malaysia-2q-sees-inflows-of-rm54b-vs-outflow-in-1q.html
Published: August 16, 2012

GDP growth for the first quarter was revised to 4.9% from 4.7%, while growth for the first half of the year stood at 5.1% compared with the same period a year ago. Compared with the first quarter, GDP expanded by 3%.

In the supply side of the economy, only the agricultural sector saw a contraction due to lower crude palm oil production. Manufacturing, services, construction and mining all posted growth. Domestic demand jumped 13.8% for the quarter and rose 11.8% for the first-half.

The country's second-quarter GDP numbers came as a surprise to many economists, whose median forecast was for a 4.6% expansion. Growth for the quarter even exceeded the most optimistic forecast of 5.2%.

Zeti (far right) attending the briefing. With her are other Bank Negara officials

Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said at a briefing following the release of the GDP data that the surge in private investment was the most encouraging aspect of the economy.

“Private investment has made a strong return because the investment climate has improved tremendously, with Malaysia moving up the rankings of various surveys in terms of competitiveness, costs and ease of doing business,” she said.

Zeti said the improvement was underscored by the higher implementation of investments by domestic and foreign investors. She added that civil engineering projects in the oil and gas, transport, utilities and services industries had helped spur growth in the construction sector.

By numbers, investments from the public and private sectors jumped 26.1% year-on-year for the quarter under review, with the first half rising 21.3%.


By sector, private investments rose 24.6% while public investments surged 28.9%. For the first half, private sector investments grew 22.4% while public sector investments expanded 19.5%.

Consumption rose 8.9% for the quarter and 11.8% in the first half. By sector, private consumption increased 8.8% for the quarter and 8.1% for the first half while public consumption expanded 9.4% for the quarter and 8.4% in the first half.

Zeti said monetary policy continued to be supportive of growth and that for the rest of the year, risks weighed on growth rather than on inflation with external headwinds still overshadowing the outlook.

She said it would take time for the global economy to recover and this would need action from various stakeholders.

“At this point, we're maintaining our forecast of 4% to 5% GDP growth for the year but this may change when the budget is announced (on Sept 28). This will come in at the upper range of the forecast if growth is robust,” Zeti added.

Alliance Investment Bank Bhd chief economist Manokaran Mottain has revised GDP growth for the year to 4.7% from 4.5% previously, with the second half to record growth of 4.5%.

He told StarBiz the third quarter would see expansion at its slowest.

Manokaran said despite the surprising growth figures, the global and domestic economy's outlook for the rest of the year would still be dampened by the eurozone debt crisis, slower expansion in China and tepid growth in the United States.

“We believe the eurozone crisis will continue to have an impact on trade and this will show itself in slower exports growth,” he said.

He added that with a drop in manufacturing activity, sentiments would be affected, leading to slower growth in the domestic-oriented services sector as consumption slowed.

Manokaran said Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for July indicated that exports would slow as demand dropped in developed markets.

CIMB Investment Bank Bhd economic research head Lee Heng Guie said in a report that the leading index for June suggested that the economy could weaken in the second half.

“We caution that a sharply high base in the second half of last year poses a hurdle to year-on-year growth,” he said.

He pointed out that the global Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development composite leading together with regional high-frequency indicators, including trade and PMI, were still under external pressures.

Meanwhile, the Statistics Department released data showing that July prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index gained 1.4% year-on-year to 104.8 and remained unchanged compared with the previous month.

Ekonomi Malaysia berkembang 5.4 peratus pada suku kedua

KUALA LUMPUR - Ekonomi Malaysia berkembang 5.4 peratus pada suku kedua tahun ini berbanding 4.3 peratus pada suku yang sama tahun lepas, dipacu oleh permintaan domestik yang lebih kukuh, kata Gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz hari ini.

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bm/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=688410
Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (Sinar Online): http://www.sinarharian.com.my/bisnes/ekonomi-malaysia-berkembang-5-4-peratus-pada-suku-kedua-1.77010
Published: August 16, 2012

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Ekonomi/20120816/ek_01/Ekonomi-negara-tumbuh-54
Published: August 16, 2012


Zeti Akhtar Aziz memasukkan kad semasa melancarkan logo Perbankan Ejen di Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, semalam. Turut hadir (dari kiri) Kamari Zaman Juhari, Adinan Maning, Muhammad Ibrahim dan Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) juga yakin kadar keluaran dalam negara kasar (KDNK) tahun ini akan kekal 4.0 peratus hingga 5.0 peratus dengan menghampiri nilai tinggi.

Gabenor BNM, Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz berkata, pertumbuhan memberangsangkan bagi suku kedua itu dipacu oleh permintaan dalam negeri yang kukuh iaitu menyaksikan peningkatan sebanyak 13.8 peratus.

"Pertumbuhan itu juga disokong oleh perbelanjaan sektor swasta dan awam yang meningkat dengan teguh.

"Eksport bersih pula terus sederhana disebabkan eksport yang lemah dan import yang lebih tinggi.

"Dari segi penawaran, kebanyakan sektor ekonomi utama negara terus berkembang dipacu oleh sektor perkhidmatan, perkilangan dan pembinaan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengumumkan prestasi ekonomi Malaysia bagi suku kedua di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir Timbalan Gabenor, Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim, Presiden Persatuan Bank-bank Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar,Presiden Persatuan Institusi-institusi Pembangunan Kewangan Malaysia, Datuk Adinan Maning dan Pengarah Pembangunan Kewangan dan Enterprise BNM, Kamari Zaman Juhari.

Bagi separuh pertama tahun ini, pertumbuhan sebanyak 5.1 peratus telah dicatat berbanding 4.7 peratus bagi tempoh yang sama tahun lalu.

Tambah Zeti, penggunaan swasta mencatat pertumbuhan yang kukuh sebanyak 8.8 peratus, hasil sokongan daripada keadaan pasaran pekerja yang teguh, kenaikan yang nyata dalam pendapatan serta sentimen pengguna yang bertambah baik.

"Penggunaan awam meningkat sebanyak 9.4 peratus, dipacu oleh perbelanjaan yang lebih tinggi ke atas emolumen serta bekalan dan perkhidmatan," jelasnya.

Sementara itu, kadar inflasi seperti yang diukur oleh perubahan tahunan dalam Indeks Harga Pengguna (IHP), menjadi sederhana kepada 1.7 peratus pada suku kedua berbanding 2.3 peratus pada suku pertama, katanya.

Manakala, kadar dasar semalaman (OPR) tidak berubah pada 3.00 peratus pada suku kedua 2012 bagi terus menyokong kegiatan ekonomi.

Zeti berkata, kestabilan kewangan kekal utuh sepanjang suku kedua 2012, disokong oleh permodalan institusi kewangan yang teguh dan keadaan pasaran kewangan yang terurus.

"Pasaran kewangan terus menunjukkan keupayaan yang tinggi untuk menghadapi kejutan luaran dan ketidaktentuan akibat risiko hutang kerajaan di kawasan Euro yang semakin meruncing," katanya.

Moody's readjusts ceilings for Malaysia

SINGAPORE: Moody's Investors Service has yesterday adjusted the foreign currency bond and local currency country risk ceilings for Malaysia. In a statement, it said the sovereign rating of the Malaysian government is unaffected by these changes.

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/mudi/Article/
Published: August 14, 2012

The change in ceilings means that the highest rating that can be assigned to a domestic issuer in Malaysia, or to a structured finance security backed by local currency receivables, is now as follows:

The long-term foreign currency bond ceiling was raised to A1 from A3; the long-term foreign currency deposit ceiling remained at A3; the short-term foreign currency bond and deposit ceilings also remained unchanged at P-1; and the long-term local currency bond and deposit ceilings were lowered to A1 from Aa2.

Moody's said its decision to re-adjust the country ceilings for Malaysia is based on its assessment of moratorium risks, given the country's ability and willingness to service both its public and private cross-border debt obligations.


It is largely due to healthy current account surpluses, Malaysia has amassed a substantial foreign exchange reserve buffer over the past decade, especially since the global financial crisis, it said.

Simultaneously, Malaysia had continued to rely primarily on local currency instruments for financing - 96.5 per cent of direct government debt is denominated in ringgit as of the third quarter of 2012 - and the growth of the private sector's foreign currency indebtedness has remained manageable.

Thus, given ample reserve adequacy, the imposition of a moratorium on foreign exchange in the event of a government default is unlikely, Moody's said.

Since the complete dismantling of selective capital controls early last decade and the subsequent liberalisation of the exchange rate in 2005, non-resident absorption of Malaysian government securities had risen substantially.

Over the same period, Malaysia has sustained its role as the largest centre for Islamic finance, it said.

According to the Securities Commission, two-thirds of total sukuk outstanding globally as of end-June 2012 was issued in Malaysia.

Malaysia may be compelled to sustain capital account convertibility in order to maintain its market share for sukuk issuance, as well as ensure favourable financing conditions for the government. Bernama

Malaysia punyai pasaran sukuk terbesar, empat jenis diterbitkan

BERASASKAN statistik Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysia mempunyai pasaran sukuk terbesar di dunia buat masa ini. Memandangkan sukuk berjumlah AS$58 bilion (RM185.6 bilion) berasal dari negara kita, ini bermakna 69 peratus daripada seluruh terbitan pasaran global bagi 2011 berasal dari sini.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Ekonomi/20120811/ek_04/Malaysia-punyai-pasaran-sukuk-terbesar-empat-jenis-diterbitkan
Published: August 12, 2012

Di negara kita, sukuk dikawal selia di bawah bidang kuasa luas Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC). Majlis Penasihat Syariah (SAC) bagi SC, yang bertanggungjawab terhadap semua hal-ehwal syariah berkaitan terbitan pasaran modal Islam, mengawal asas hukum Syariah bagi struktur sukuk.

Dari sudut praktikal, sukuk boleh ditakrifkan sebagai dokumen yang membuktikan kewajipan kewangan (hutang atau bukan hutang) bagi pengeluarnya yang timbul daripada urus niaga asas berdasarkan prinsip syariah. Struktur sukuk yang diterbitkan setakat ini terutamanya berpandukan kepada dua prinsip utama: Kontrak Pertukaran (Uqud al Muawadat) atau Kontrak Penyertaan (Uqud al-Isytirak).

Kontrak Pertukaran (Uqud al Muawadat). Dua prinsip yang diguna pakai secara umum ialah (a) Murabaha/Istisna' atau (b) Ijarah, yang masing-masing memerlukan pembelian terdahulu dan jualan selanjutnya (untuk (a)) atau pajakan balik (untuk (b)) aset yang dikenal pasti kepada pelanggan atas dasar harga jualan tertunda (untuk (a)) atau pembayaran sewa pajak masa depan (untuk (b)).

Kontrak Penyertaan (Uqud al-Isytirak). Pada amnya, struktur ini adalah berasaskan pelaburan perkongsian pendapatan di bawah 'Sijil Amanah' atau 'Sekuriti Penyertaan' yang memberikan pelabur kepentingan atau pegangan yang sekadar dan tidak dibahagikan dalam aset asas dan aliran tunai dengan risiko pendedahan yang berkaitan.

Empat jenis sukuk utama telah diterbitkan di Malaysia setakat ini: Sukuk Murabahah, Sukuk Ijarah, Sukuk Musyarakah dan Sukuk Mudharabah.

Sukuk Murabahah dan Istisna' ialah sijil yang menunjukkan keberhutangan pengeluar kepada pelabur, yang timbul daripada mana-mana kontrak pertukaran yang dinyatakan di atas di antara mereka.

Sukuk Ijarah ialah sijil yang menjadi bukti pemilikan pelabur bagi aset yang dipajak dan hak kepada pendapatan yang dijana daripada aset tersebut.

Sukuk Musyarakah ialah sijil yang menjadi bukti penyertaan pro rata tidak terbahagi pelabur atas dasar untung dan rugi dalam kegiatan komersial asas dengan salah satu pihak dilantik sebagai rakan kongsi urusan untuk menguruskan kegiatan.

Sukuk Mudharabah ialah sijil yang menjadi bukti penyertaan pelabur atas dasar perkongsian untung dalam kegiatan komersial asas. Pengurusan dilakukan oleh mudharib (usahawan).

Bekalan wang kertas baru mencukupi, kata BNM

KUALA LUMPUR: Wang kertas baru mencukupi untuk memenuhi permintaan musim perayaan bagi urus niaga perniagaan dan pembayaran, kata Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bm/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=687196
Published: August 10, 2012

Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, BNM berkata semua bank komersial dikehendaki memastikan cawangan mereka mempunyai bekalan wang kertas mencukupi bagi memenuhi permintaan orang ramai.

Bagi mereka yang menghadapi sebarang kesukaran mendapatkan wang kertas baru, boleh menghubungi hotline 03-26907613; 03- 26988044 sambungan 7402/8658 atau emel ncs@bnm.gov.my. - Bernama

Let Seng Enterprises Sdn Bhd Charged for Illegal Money Services Business

Bank Negara Malaysia today charged Let Seng Enterprises Sdn Bhd and its director, Koh Chye Teck at the Kota Tinggi Sessions Court under section 4(1) of the Money Services Business Act 2011, for operating a money services business (money changing) without a valid licence on its premises at No. 72, Jalan Besar, Sungai Rengit, 81620 Pengerang, Johor.

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120810124614/Article/index_html
Published: August 08, 2012

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=687124
Published: August 08, 2012

Since coming into force, Let Seng Enterprises Sdn Bhd is the first case prosecuted under the Money Services Business Act 2011. If found guilty, the penalty carries a fine not exceeding five million ringgit or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or both.

Bank Negara International Reserves At RM429.6 Billion

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara’s international reserves amounted to RM429.6bil, equivalent to US$134.5bil, as at July 31.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/8/business/11816560&sec=business
Published: August 08, 2012

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/reza07/Article/
Published: August 08, 2012

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=686278
Published: August 07, 2012

According to the central bank’s statement yesterday, the reserves position is sufficient to finance 9.5 months of retained imports and is 4.3 times the short-term external debt.

Short-term rates to remain stable on Bank Negara intervention

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Short-term rates are expected to remain stable today following Bank Negara's intervention to absorb excess liquidity from the financial system, dealers said.

Source from (The Malaysian Insider): http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/short-term-rates-to-remain-stable-on-bank-negara-intervention1/
Published: August 07, 2012

The central bank estimated today's surplus at RM27.191 billion in the conventional system and RM7.932 billion in Islamic funds.

The bank will conduct four RM1 billion conventional tenders each for seven days, 15 days, 21 days and 28 days, respectively.

The central bank will also conduct a RM300 million repo tender for 63 days.

It will conduct a RM1.5 million Al-Wadiah tender for seven days, RM800 million tender for 15 days and RM1.9 billion tender for 28 days.

Bank Negara will also conduct a RM400 million Commodity Murabahah Programme for 31 days.

At 4pm, the bank will conduct a conventional overnight tender of up to RM22.9 billion and a RM3.7 billion Al-Wadiah overnight tender. — Bernama

Warning on misuse of Bank Negara letters

KUALA LUMPUR: Acknowledgement letters issued by Bank Negara to scheduled institutions have allegedly been misused to solicit investments from the public in financial schemes involving gold and other precious metals.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/3/business/11787011&sec=business
Published: August 03, 2012

In a statement, the public had been advised to exercise due caution when dealing with companies or individuals that use such acknowledgement letters purportedly issued by Bank Negara.

It had received enquiries regarding companies which represented themselves as scheduled institutions with the central bank.

Under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989, a company that conducts either leasing, factoring, development finance or building credit activities only obtains a written acknowledgement from the central bank.

“Such an acknowledgement letter does not amount to a business licence or approval by Bank Negara. A register of scheduled institutions which have obtained an acknowledgement from the central bank, is maintained for statistical purposes only.”

Data show loan growth slowing, but stable

PETALING JAYA: Banking statistics released by Bank Negara showed that loan growth was stable despite slowing loan growth indicators, an indication of more downside in the months to come.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/2/business/11776310&sec=business
Published: August 02, 2012

For June 2012, loan growth was stable at 12.6% on a year on year (yoy) basis, versus 12.5% in May 2012. The growth was slightly higher for both consumer and business loans at 11.8% and 13.6%, respectively, in June 2012.

The growth in applications moderated from 15.1% in May 2012 to 10.5% in June 2012, while approvals contracted by 2.1% yoy, versus an increase of 18.2% in May 2012.

CIMB Research said that the culprit was the contraction in residential mortgages while the pace for auto loans improved strongly to about 27% yoy in June 2012.

For the month of June, the three lending indicators of loan application, loan approval and loan disbursement activities declined by 0.5%, 11.5% and 1.4% on a month on month basis to RM76.2bil from RM76.6bil previously.


Loan growth for June was stable at 12.6% on a year-on-year basis versus 12.5% in May.

CIMB Research banking analyst Winson Ng said that although loan growth was sustained at 12.6%, downside risks still persist to his projected forecast of 10% to 11% for 2012.

“The slowdown will come from the consumer loan segment, especially when applications for residential mortgages in June 2012 dipped by 12% on a year-on-year basis,” said Ng.

On the other hand, Alliance Research banking analyst Cheah King Yoong is maintaining his forecast of 11% domestic loan growth in 2012, for now. In fact, he foresees an increasing upside to his 11% domestic loan growth forecast for 2012 in view of the strong pick-up of loans in June.

He remains optimistic about the continued vibrant domestic lending activities going forward. He also expects the sluggishness and volatility seen in the first few months following the introduction of responsible lending guidelines to normalise going forward, with most banks completed their policy fine tuning to comply with the guidelines.

Although property loans remains the key driver, where loans to purchase residential and non-residential properties constitute 46% of the annualised 12.7% loan growth for June, Cheah observes that other purpose loans and working capital have been gathering pace, contributing 28.8% and 22.3% of the loan growth drivers, respectively.

“We also acknowledge that business loans have recorded a commendable annualised growth of 15.9%, ahead of household loans’ annualised growth rate of 10.1%.

“This has reaffirmed our expectation that despite having a slow start in early 2012, overall domestic lending activities is picking up, with stronger growth of business loans stemming from the roll out of Entry Point Projects under the government Economic Transformation Plan, which filled up the vacuum left by the moderation in property loans,” said Cheah.

Meanwhile, although the deposit rates were largely unchanged, banks’ average lending rate contracted by 8 basis points on a monh on month basis to 4.8% in Jun 2012. Ng said that this reflected keen industry competition and signals continuous pressure on margins. The impaired loan ratios dropped by 20 basis points month on month to a gross 2.2% and by 10 basis points month on month to 1.5% net in June 2012.

Loan loss coverage rose from 95.3% in May 2012 to 98.9% in June 2012.

Banks have adjusted to BNM’s responsible lending guidelines, says Alliance Research

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Most banking institutions in Malaysia have completed their policy fine tuning to comply with the responsible lending guidelines introduced by Bank Negara Malaysia.

Source from (The Malaysian Insider): http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/banks-have-adjusted-to-bnms-responsible-lending-guidelines-says-alliance-research/
Published: August 01, 2012

The sluggishness and volatility in the banks is thus expected to normalise going forward, said Alliance Research.

It also said despite having a slow start in early 2012, overall domestic lending activities are picking up.

This, it added, follows the stronger growth of business loans stemming from the roll out of Entry Point Projects (EPPs) under the government Economic Transformation Plan (ETP), which filled up the vacuum left by the moderation in property loans.

Despite the month-on-month moderation in the lending indicators in June 2012, the research house remains optimistic about the continued vibrant domestic lending activities going forward.

"We are maintaining our forecast of 11 per cent domestic loans growth in 2012, for now.

"Nonetheless, we now foresee that there is an increasing likelihood of an upside risk to our domestic loans growth forecast for 2012, in view of the strong pick-up of loans in June, although our loans growth estimate has already been more bullish than consensus," Alliance said in a research note today.

For the month of June, loan application, loan approval and loan disbursements activities declined by 0.5 per cent, 11.5 per cent and 1.4 per cent on a month-on-month basis to RM76.2 billion, RM37.3 billion and RM88.4 billion, respectively.

On a year-to-date annualised basis, outstanding loans grew by 12.7 per cent in June, an increase compared with the 11.4 per cent registered in May.

Average Base Lending Rate (BLR) of commercial banks in June remained constant month-on-month at 6.53 per cent.

"Although property loans remained the key driver, where loans to purchase residential and non-residential properties constituted 46 per cent of the annualised 12.7 per cent loan growth for June, we observed that other purpose loans and working capital have been gathering pace.

"This contributed 28.8 per cent and 22.3 per cent of the loan growth drivers, respectively.

"We also acknowledge that business loans have recorded a commendable annualised growth of 15.9 per cent, ahead of household loans' annualised growth rate of 10.1 per cent," Alliance Research added.

Meanwhile, Alliance Research has maintained the "overweight" call on the banking sector, with Hong Leong Bank serving as its top pick for the sector.

For mid-cap banking exposure, the research firm preferred Affin Holdings, a bank that has a turnaround story, and offers good proxy to the merger and acquisition theme but has been persistently overlooked by investors. — Bernama

Banks still well-capitalised

PETALING JAYA: The banking system remained well-capitalised in June with a risk-weighted capital ratio and core capital ratio of 14.7% and 12.9% respectively.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/1/business/11769690&sec=businesshttp://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/8/1/business/11769690&sec=business
Published: August 01, 2012

In its June monetary and financial development statement, Bank Negara said the level of net impaired loans had improved, amounting to 1.5% of net loans due to recovery and write-off exercise by some banks as part of the balance sheet strengthening exercise.

Loan loss coverage remained high at 98.9%.

On another note, inflation, which is measured by the change in the consumer price index, moderated to 1.6% in the month due to lower inflation in the transport, and food and non-alcoholic beverages categories. The price of RON97 petrol was revised downward, while in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, a lower inflation rate of 2.9% was recorded due to smaller increase in prices in food away from home sub-category.

“Interbank rates were stable in June,” the central bank said. On retail lending rates, the average base lending rate of commercial banks remained stagnant at 6.53% at end-June. During the period, retail deposit rates remained stable.

77 syarikat pelaburan tidak sah

KUALA LUMPUR 31 Julai - Para pelabur di negara ini perlu berhati-hati membuat pelaburan kewangan agar tidak terjebak melabur ke dalam syarikat-syarikat pelaburan yang tidak mendapat kelulusan daripada Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), termasuk membabitkan skim-skim kewangan yang melibatkan pelaburan emas dan logam berharga lain.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Ekonomi/20120801/ek_02/77-syarikat-pelaburan-tidak-sah
Published: August 01, 2012


SYARIKAT-syarikat pelaburan emas dan barangan logam bernilai 
kini melakukan pelbagai taktik bertujuan menarik pelaburan daripada 
orang ramai dengan menjanjikan pulangan lumayan. - GAMBAR HIASAN

Menurut BNM, sejumlah 77 syarikat atau individu telah disenaraikan sebagai entiti yang tidak mendapat kelulusan dan tidak sah menjalankan aktiviti pelaburan mengikut peraturan kewangan di negara ini.

Antara jenis-jenis aktiviti yang dijalankan oleh syarikat atau individu tersebut kebanyakannya berkisar kepada pelaburan emas, perniagaan mata wang asing atau menjalankan pelaburan tidak berlesen.

Bank pusat itu berkata, ia menerima pertanyaan daripada orang ramai berhubung dengan syarikat yang mendakwa sebagai institusi terjadual dengan BNM untuk membolehkan syarikat tersebut mendapatkan pelaburan daripada orang ramai.

BNM dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini menyatakan bank pusat itu tidak mengeluarkan sebarang lesen mahupun surat kebenaran perniagaan kepada syarikat yang menjalankan aktiviti pemajakan, pemfaktoran, pembangunan kewangan atau pembangunan kredit.

Tegasnya, di bawah Akta Bank dan Institusi Kewangan 1989, syarikat-syarikat tersebut perlu mendapat perakuan bertulis daripada Bank Negara sebelum boleh menjalankan aktiviti itu di negara ini.

"Surat perakuan tersebut yang dikeluarkan oleh BNM bukan lesen perniagaan atau kelulusan daripada BNM berhubung dengan perniagaan terjadual seperti dinyatakan dalam surat perakuan berkenaan, ataupun perniagaan lain yang dijalankan oleh institusi terjadual berkenaan," kata bank itu.

"Senarai institusi terjadual yang telah mendapat perakuan daripada Bank Negara itu hanya untuk disimpan bagi tujuan perangkaan semata-mata.

"Sekiranya syarikat-syarikat tersebut telah berhenti daripada menjalankan perniagaan terjadualnya, BNM akan menarik balik surat perakuan tersebut," kata bank pusat itu dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Justeru ia menasihatkan orang ramai supaya berwaspada apabila berurusan dengan syarikat atau individu yang menggunakan surat perakuan yang dikatakan dikeluarkan oleh BNM untuk menarik pelaburan dalam pelbagai skim kewangan.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, orang ramai boleh merujuk kepada bahagian 'Peringatan kepada Semua Penggguna Kewangan' yang terdapat di laman sesawang Bank Negara http://www.bnm.gov.my atau hubungi talian: 1-300-88-5465 atau dan e-mel: bnmtelelink@bnm.gov.my

'Awasi pihak salah guna surat akuan Bank Negara'

Kuala Lumpur: Bank Negara Malaysia memberi amaran kepada orang ramai supaya berwaspada dengan syarikat atau individu yang menyalahgunakan surat perakuannya untuk mendapatkan pelaburan dalam skim kewangan membabitkan emas dan logam berharga lain.

Source from (Berita Harian): http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/AwasipihaksalahgunasuratakuanBankNegara_/Article
Published: August 01, 2012

Source from (Harian Metro): http://www.hmetro.com.my/myMetro/articles/AwaspihakperalatnamaBNM/Article/index_html
Published: August 01, 2012

Amaran itu dikeluarkan selepas bank pusat itu menerima banyak pertanyaan berhubung syarikat yang mendakwa sebagai institusi berjadual dengan Bank Negara yang membolehkan mereka menerima pelaburan orang ramai.

“Bank Negara ingin menegaskan bahawa di bawah Akta Bank dan Institusi-Institusi Kewangan 1989, sesebuah syarikat yang menjalankan aktiviti pemajakan, pemfaktoran, kewangan pembangunan atau kredit, hanya menerima perakuan bertulis daripada kami.

“Surat perakuan itu yang dikeluarkan oleh kami bukan lesen perniagaan atau kelulusan Bank Negara terhadap perniagaan berjadual seperti dinyatakan dalam surat perakuan terbabit, atau apa juga perniagaan lain yang dijalankan oleh institusi terjadual berkenaan,” katanya.

Bank Negara menegaskan, senarai institusi berjadual yang mendapat perakuan daripada Bank Negara disimpan bagi tujuan perangkaan semata-mata.

Maklumat lanjut

“Jika sesebuah institusi berjadual sudah tidak lagi menjalankan perniagaan berjadualnya, Bank Negara akan menarik balik Surat Perakuan berkenaan,” katanya.
Bagi mendapatkan maklumat lanjut, orang ramai boleh merujuk kepada Peringatan Semua Pengguna Kewangan yang terdapat di laman web Bank Negara di www.bnm.gov.my.

Senarai peringatan itu dikumpulkan berdasarkan pertanyaan orang ramai ke atas Bank Negara terhadap modus operandi dan kegiatan sesebuah individu atau entiti perniagaan.

Ia juga mengandungi maklumat kesan berurusan dengan individu tidak bertauliah, jenis kegiatan dan modus operandi biasa yang digunakan oleh pengendali aktiviti haram termasuk menawarkan produk atau perkhidmatan melalui laman sesawang.

Senarai itu mempunyai pautan ke laman sesawang pengawal selia lain seperti Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC), Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan serta Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM).

Orang ramai yang mempunyai sebarang pertanyaan berhubung Peringatan Semua Pengguna Kewangan boleh menghubungi Bank Negara di BNMTELELINK: 1-300-88-5465.

Be Careful With Companies Misusing BNM Acknowledgement Letters, Says Bank Negara

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has cautioned the public to be wary of companies or individual misusing acknowledgement letters to solicit investments in financial schemes involving gold and other precious metals.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/31/business/20120731162950&sec=business
Published: July 31, 2012

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=684539
Published: July 31, 2012

The central bank said on Tuesday it had received enquiries from the public about companies, which represented themselves as scheduled institutions with BNM, to solicit investments from the public.

Under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989, a company that conducted either leasing, factoring, development finance or building credit activities would only receive a written acknowledgement from the bank.

"Such an acknowledgement letter by the bank does not amount to a business licence or approval by BNM in respect of the scheduled business stated in the acknowledgement letter, or other businesses carried on by the scheduled institution concerned," it said.

BNM said a register of scheduled institutions which obtained an acknowledgement was maintained for statistical purposes only.

"If a scheduled institution does not, or ceases to carry on, its scheduled business, BNM would proceed to withdraw its acknowledgement letter," it said.

Malaysia's Klibor unlikely to be manipulated

PETALING JAYA: The chances of interest rates on the Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate (Klibor) being manipulated is quite remote compared with interbank offered rates in other jurisdictions as it is closely tied to the overnight policy rate (OPR) coupled with the ample liquidity in the banking system, according to industry observers.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/31/business/11759438&sec=business
Published: July 31, 2012

Nevertheless, they agree that continuous monitoring of the Klibor and whatever rules that may be implemented to govern it is essential to ensure the effectiveness and integrity of the local interbank market.

Ernst & Young Malaysia partner, assurance (financial services), Chan Hooi Lam said the possibility of Klibor being open to rigging was lower compared to, for example, the London interbank offered rate (Libor), as the former was closely tied to the OPR which was determined and set by Bank Negara after considering liquidity and other related conditions.

“As the central bank is also able to inject and extract liquidity into and from the market using its available tools, the risk of distortion to the rate is lower. Libor, on the other hand, is determined in London based on the quotes provided by 18 large banks, the outliers (on the higher and lower ends) are excluded and the Libor is generally determined by averaging the rests.

“This relatively liberal process of fixing the rate requires high ethical standard observed by the banks. It is possible that this self-regulated process is exploited for personal purposes (not only by the banks but also the key personnel of the banks) without appropriate check and balance, including appropriate supervisory oversight from the regulators,'' he told StarBiz.

To further improve and enhance the interbank lending market, the Financial Markets Association of Malaysia in consultation with Bank Negara is looking at drafting rules which are expected to be out over the next few weeks.

Bloomberg in a recent report cited the association's president Datuk Lee Kok Kwan as saying that one of the proposals would be that the 12 banks, whose estimates were used to compile the Klibor, would be required to lend funds to other banks at that day's rate during a five-minute period from 11am every day.

The news agency also said the new rules would stipulate a spread between Klibor and the rate that the 12 participating banks must pay for deposits during that five-minute window.

Klibor is determined by a daily poll carried out on behalf of the association that asks 12 banks to estimate how much it would cost to borrow from each other. The highest and lowest submissions are excluded, and an average of the remaining 10 entries are calculated to set the rate at 11am local time.

Asked whether Bank Negara would review the setting up of interbank rate in Malaysia in line with what Singapore had recently done amid rate-rigging of the Libor in other jurisdictions, the central bank said in a statement: “We have not seen any problems associated with the Libor issue occurring in the Klibor market. Nevertheless, we can learn from the experience of other markets and further strengthen the processes. Bank Negara supports the banking industry's efforts to further enhance the Klibor setting process.”

Meanwhile, an industry observer felt there was no rigging of the Klibor as the banking system was flush with ample liquidity and was well capitalised. Furthermore, unlike some other countries, he added, Bank Negara could trace the lending and borrowing between banks that constituted the Klibor.

Chan said the lesson learnt from the Libor incident should not be taken lightly, adding that it should serve as a reminder that there might not be a permanent and perfect model in fixing a benchmark interest rate, but continuous monitoring and review of the process would ensure integrity of the resulting benchmark rate.

Lusuh: Mutu wang kertas baru dipersoal

Wang kertas baru yang diedarkan sejak 16 Julai lalu kini dipersoalkan pula mutu kertas yang digunakan apabila didapati ia mudah lusuh dan gambar yang tertera di pemukaan kertas itu mudah hilang.

Source from (Harian Metro): http://www.harian-metro-online.com/lusuh-mutu-wang-kertas-baru-dipersoal
Published: July 30, 2012



Demikian persoalan yang timbul di beberapa laman facebook.

Bank Negara Malaysia sebelum ini telah mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa bertemakan ‘Keunikan Malaysia’, ciri-ciri yang mencorak budaya dan warisan serta keindahan alam semula jadi negara telah menjadi inspirasi dalam reka bentuk wang kertas terbaru itu.

Ia turut menampilkan teknologi wang kertas yang mengandungi ciri-ciri keselamatan yang lebih canggih termasuklah imej tanda bayang, tingkap pandang telus, potret tera air (watermark) dengan piksel dan angka, benang keselamatan dengan warna berubah-ubah, benang kanta mikro, tanda pandang telus dan petak kilat berwarna.

Namun dengan bukti yang ada, menjelaskan bahawa ciri kualiti tidak diambil berat oleh BNM terhadap pengeluaran wang kertas baru berkenaan.

Bank Negara works with malls

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara is working closely with the management of shopping complexes, office buildings and public transport companies to ensure that their auto-pay stations are calibrated to accept the new notes issued for circulation on July 16.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/27/business/11740022&sec=business
Published: July 27, 2012

The new series comprise denominations of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100. The RM20 note was reintroduced in this new series.

A Bank Negara official said the bank welcomed efforts of the shopping complexes to calibrate the auto pay machines to accept new bank notes for the convenience of the public. — Bernama

Shopping Malls Calibrate Auto Pay Stations To Accept New Notes

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara is working closely with the management of shopping complexes, office buildings and public transportation companies to ensure that their auto pay stations are calibrated to accept the new banknotes issued for circulation on July 16. The new series comprise denominations of RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100. The RM20 note was reintroduced in this new series.

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120726174954/Article/index_html
Published: July 26, 2012

Source from (Bernama): http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsbusiness.php?id=683455
Published: July 26, 2012


ACCEPT NEW NOTES: Bank Negara operation and management 
officer, Nor Aimah Mohd Nor showing the new notes for the 
parking fees at Mid Valley Megamall. — Bernama photo

A Bank Negara official said the Bank welcomes efforts of the shopping complexes to calibrate the auto pay machines to accept new banknotes for the convenience of the public.

“By having the sticker pasted on the top right of the machine, it will indicate that the machine is ready to accept new banknotes” said a Bank Negara official at the event at Mid-Valley Megamall.

The mall has 22 auto-pay stations which were calibrated a day before the new notes were issued.

Carpark Manager Mohammed Rodzi Jaafar said Mid-Valley was one of the 28 shopping malls which already had auto pay stations that can accept the new notes.

He said the mall planned to add another eight machines, bringing the total to 30 machines, by year-end.

A housewife, Shannon Lim Sin Chi, 32, of Cheras said she did not see the sticker at auto pay machines in other shopping malls.

She said the auto-pay stations at Mid-Valley Megamall was up-to-date in terms of giving their best service to customers.

On July 16, the central bank had advised all relevant parties to expedite their machine calibration to accept the new banknotes for the convenience of the public.

Themed ‘Distinctively Malaysia’, the latest banknotes series draws its inspiration from the country’’s diverse culture, heritage and nature, and uses the latest technology to enhance security features.

These include shadow image, clear window, watermark portrait with pixel and highlighted numerals, colour shifting security thread, micro lens thread, perfect see-through register and coloured glossy patch. — Bernama

International reserves at RM429.4bil

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara’s international reserves amounted to RM429.4bil (equivalent to US$134.4bil) as at July 13. The reserves position was sufficient to finance 9.4 months of retained imports and was 4.3 times the short-term external debt, said the central bank in a statement.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/21/business/11705199&sec=business
Published: July 21, 2012

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120720235537/Article/index_html
Published: July 21, 2012

It said the main components of the international reserves were foreign currencies (US$121.2bil), International Monetary Fund reserves (US$800mil), Special Drawing Rights (US$1.9bil), gold (US$1.9bil) and other reserves assets (US$8.6bil).

The central bank’s total assets, including international reserves, stood at RM479.72bil.

Its other assets included the Malaysian government papers (RM2.13bil), deposits with financial institutions (RM29.13bil), loans and advances (RM10.21bil), and other assets (RM8.86bil). — Bernama

Sukuk akan diterbitkan dalam Renminbi

KUALA LUMPUR 20 Julai - Kerajaan merancang membenarkan penerbitan sukuk dalam mata wang Renminbi berikutan prestasi yang kukuh mata wang negara China berkenaan berbanding Dolar Amerika.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2012&dt=0721&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_03.htm
Published: July 21, 2012

Timbalan Menteri Kewangan, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai berkata, ketika ini, Bank Negara hanya membenarkan penerbitan sukuk dalam mata wang Ringgit dan Dolar Amerika tetapi keadaan semasa semakin berubah.

Katanya, perdagangan Malaysia ke China dan dunia ke negara itu telah menunjukkan peningkatan yang memberangsangkan dan seterusnya mengukuhkan mata wang berkenaan.

"Semakin tinggi perdagangan dengan China, semakin banyak nilai Renminbi dalam tangan pedagang tersebut.

"Perdagangan akaun dalam Renminbi telah dilaksanakan di Hong Kong dan baru-baru ini di Singapura. Ramai yang mahu memegang Renminbi, berbanding Dolar Amerika dan Euro kerana kekuatannya," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar selepas majlis menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MoU) Bank Muamalat dengan Bank of Shi Zui Shan, di sini hari ini.

Sementara itu mengulas mengenai prestasi penerbitan sukuk, beliau berkata, penerbitan sukuk dunia setakat April lalu adalah AS$34 bilion (RM105.4 bilion).

"Sebanyak 60 peratusnya daripadanya diterbitkan di Malaysia dan 25 peratus dari negara Asia Barat," jelasnya.

Kaedah baru cagaran pembiayaan peribadi

PETALING JAYA 15 Julai - Kepesatan industri telekomunikasi negara kini telah membuatkan alat peranti seperti telefon bimbit atau perkhidmatan perhubungan dianggap sebagai barangan keperluan ataupun komoditi.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2012&dt=0716&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_01.htm
Published: July 16, 2012

Hal itu sebenarnya telah membuka idea kepada syarikat IDOTTV Sdn. Bhd. (IDOTTV) untuk mengendalikan perkhidmatan pembiayaan peribadi berlandaskan syariah menggunakan kredit masa berbual sebagai cagaran bagi meluluskan pembiayaan, dinamakan sebagai As-Sidq.

Pengarah Produk IDOTTV, Halim M. Dzin berkata, kredit masa berbual yang dianggap sebagai komoditi itu akan dicagarkan semasa proses permohonan pembiayaan antara peminjam, pihak bank, syarikat telekomunikasi serta pembeli tersedia.

Jelasnya, kaedah tersebut telah bermula sejak 2009 dan mendapat kelulusan daripada Bank Negara Malaysia sebagai salah satu bentuk kewangan berlandaskan konsep Islam, kerana menepati piawaian yang memerlukan komoditi - dalam kes ini adalah kredit masa berbual untuk pembiayaan.

"Harga kredit masa berbual yang stabil serta tidak begitu berisiko berdasarkan permintaan dan penawaran dalam pasaran antarabangsa, maka ia adalah 'komoditi' terbaik untuk didagangkan khususnya di Malaysia yang masih memiliki bilangan pengguna prabayar yang ramai.

"Ia berasaskan konsep Tawarruq yang mana perbankan Islam membeli aset contohnya komoditi, kemudian akan dijual kepada pihak tertentu bagi mendapatkan sumber kewangan," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia.

Sebagai contoh di bawah sistem As-Sidq, seorang peminjam memohon dan bersetuju mendapatkan pembiayaan peribadi bernilai RM50,000 daripada bank terlibat. Kemudian bank akan membeli kredit masa berbual bernilai RM50,000 daripada syarikat telekomunikasi.

Seterusnya, setelah memperoleh kredit masa berbual bernilai RM50,000, pihak bank kemudiannya akan menjualnya kepada pembeli tersedia. Di dalam sistem ini, syarikat induk IDOTTV, Kumpulan Sedania akan membeli kesemua kredit masa berbual itu untuk dijual di pasaran.

Dana yang diperoleh oleh bank itu kemudiannya akan diberikan kepada pemohon mengikut syarat pembiayaan yang dipersetujui oleh kedua-dua pihak.

Katanya, setakat ini, terdapat tiga perbankan yang terlibat bagi menyediakan pembiayaan tersebut iaitu Affin Islamic Bank Bhd., RHB Islamic dan Malaysia Building Society Bhd. (MBSB) serta syarikat telekomunikasi prabayar tempatan, menerusi pihak ketiga.

Halim menjelaskan, antara keunikan lain sistem ini, adalah turut menyediakan akad bagi mengesahkan pembiayaan menerusi khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS). Kaedah SMS ini diperakui memandangkan ia juga boleh dijadikan bukti di dalam kes penceraian.

IDOTTV bagaimanapun ketika ini sedang mengadakan perbincangan dengan beberapa bank Islam tempatan untuk mengadakan kerjasama bagi meluaskan lagi perkhidmatan pembiayaan As-Sidq.

Kata beliau lagi, sistem As-Sidq hanya melibatkan pembiayaan peribadi dan had pembiyaan tidak melebihi RM200,000.

Manfaat besar - Zeti

SISTEM kewangan Malaysia mendapat manfaat besar daripada pelaburan Jepun menerusi pindahan kepakaran, pengetahuan, teknologi dan hubungan antara ekonomi yang diperkukuh.

Source from (Harian Metro): http://www.hmetro.com.my/myMetro/articles/Manfaatbesar/Article/index_html
Published: July 13, 2012

Gabenor Bank Negara, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz berkata, Malaysia menyambut baik penyertaan berterusan institusi kewangan Jepun dalam sektor kewangan domestik dan Pusat Perniagaan dan Kewangan Antarabangsa Labuan. “Bulan lalu, terdapat empat bank perdagangan, empat syarikat insuran, satu syarikat penginsurans semula dan satu pengendali takaful usaha sama dari Jepun beroperasi di Malaysia,” katanya pada majlis perasmian Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi (M) Bhd cawangan Pulau Pinang.

Teks ucapan beliau dibacakan Penolong Gabenor, Donald Joshua Jaganathan.

Dr Zeti berkata, keputusan Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi untuk membuka cawangan terbarunya di Pulau Pinang bukan saja disokong kehadiran ramai pelanggan Jepun, tapi juga aktiviti pelaburan yang sedang dilaksanakan di wilayah utara Malaysia itu. Beliau berkata, meskipun pusat kewangan Malaysia sudah beralih ke Kuala Lumpur, kepentingan Pulau Pinang sebagai penyumbang utama kepada ekonomi negara masih lagi ketara. Pembukaan cawangan itu menunjukkan pengembangan berterusan sistem kewangan Malaysia dan disokong ekonomi mantap dari segi fundamental yang terus mencatatkan prestasi baik semasa tempoh mencabar ini. Zeti berkata, Asia terus menjadi pusat pertumbuhan penting dalam ekonomi global, walaupun pertumbuhan mungkin menyederhana, ia masih kekal pada paras yang masih dapat mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan. “Ini dipacu permintaan domestik dan peningkatan hubungan antara ekonomi di rantau ini,” katanya. - Bernama

Permintaan domestik stabilkan ekonomi Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 13 Julai - Permintaan domestik yang kekal kukuh dan peningkatan hubungan di kalangan ekonomi-ekonomi baru muncul di rantau ini membantu ekonomi Malaysia kekal stabil.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2012&dt=0714&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_03.htm
Published: July 13, 2012

Gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Tan Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz berkata, fleksibiliti ekonomi dan sistem kewangan kukuh juga telah menyokong trend tersebut.

"Dalam keadaan ekonomi yang tidak menentu, beberapa negara membangun berdepan cabaran untuk meningkatkan pertumbuhan dan mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan serta menangani kelemahan beberapa fundamental dalam ekonomi dan sistem kewangan.

"Meskipun ekonomi-ekonomi baru muncul terjejas, tetapi kebanyakan negara-negara itu masih dalam laluan pertumbuhan positif," katanya dalam ucapannya semasa perasmian Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi (M) Bhd. di Pulau Pinang di sini hari ini.

Teks ucapannya dibacakan oleh Penolong Gabenor, Donald Joshua Jaganathan.

Zeti berkata, sistem kewangan Malaysia mempunyai penyertaan pemilikan institusi perbankan sejak lama dulu dan jumlah bank-bank asing yang beroperasi di Pulau Pinang sudah berusia lebih 100 tahun.

Ia disokong oleh peranan utama Pulau Pinang sebagai pelabuhan kemasukan utama bagi eksport komoditi iaitu timah dan getah.

Jelas Zeti Akhtar, biarpun pusat kewangan Malaysia telah berpindah ke Kuala Lumpur, sumbangan Pulau Pinang sebagai penyumbang ekonomi bagi Malaysia masih lagi signifikan.

"Kebanyakan institusi kewangan memiliki cawangan besar di Pulau Pinang.

"Pembukaan Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi bukan sahaja menggambarkan peluasan sistem kewangan di negara ini, tetapi turut dipacu oleh kestabilan fundamental ekonomi dalam keadaan yang mencabar ini.

"Keputusan Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi membuka cawangan baru di sini bukan sekadar disokong oleh pelanggan-pelanggannya tetapi aktiviti pelaburan yang berterusan di wilayah utara," ujar beliau.

Sehingga Jun tahun ini, masing-masing terdapat empat buah komersial bank dan syarikat insurans, sebuah syarikat reinsurans dan satu pengendali takaful dari Jepun.

Zeti berkata, melalui penyertaan itu, sistem kewangan Malaysia mendapat faedah daripada pelaburan Jepun menerusi kepakaran, pengetahuan dan teknologi serta peluasan antara hubungan ekonomi.

Japan's top bank applauds Malaysia's socio-economic development

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysia is among the most impressive countries in Asia in terms of social and economic development, says Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (M) Bhd's chief executive officer, Masato Nakamura. He said on Friday Malaysia was an attractive investment destination due to its strategic location in Asean and Asia-Pacific.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/13/business/20120713150957&sec=business
Published: July 13, 2012

Nakamura said investors were also taking advantage of Asean's free trade agreements with India, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

"Japanese companies have been attracted to Malaysia's growing economy, location away from natural disasters, good infrastructure and a workforce who can speak English," he said after launching the bank's first branch in Juru Auto City here.

Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Shigeru Nakamura, Muneo Kurauchi, senior managing executive officer of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd and Bank Negara Malaysia's assistant governor Donald Joshua Jaganathan jointly officiated the launch.

He said well-developed industries such as electrical and electronics parts and chemical manufacturing sectors in Penang continued to attract Japanese and foreign firms to set up units here.

Nakamura said the new branch would provide easier access to the bank's services for corporate customers located in the northern region, especially in the Northern Corridor Economic Region.

"It will also cater to the increasing number of multinationals and local companies concentrated in the vicinity and adjacent industrial areas linked by major highways," he said.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Malaysia is a unit of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd headquartered in Japan. The entity is a locally-incorporated Japanese commercial bank providing a full range of banking services. - Bernama

Sistem kewangan Malaysia dapat manfaat besar daripada pelaburan Jepun, kata Zeti

GEORGETOWN - Sistem kewangan Malaysia mendapat manfaat besar daripada pelaburan Jepun menerusi pindahan kepakaran, pengetahuan, teknologi dan hubungan antara ekonomi yang diperkukuh, kata Gabenor Bank Negara Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, hari ini.

Source from (Sinar Online): http://www.sinarharian.com.my/bisnes/sistem-kewangan-malaysia-dapat-manfaat-besar-daripada-pelaburan-jepun-kata-zeti-1.66226
Published: July 13, 2012

Beliau berkata Malaysia menyambut baik penyertaan berterusan institusi kewangan Jepun dalam sektor kewangan domestik dan Pusat Perniagaan dan Kewangan Antarabangsa Labuan.

Pada bulan lepas, terdapat empat bank perdagangan, empat syarikat insurans dan sebuah syarikat penginsurans semula dan sebuah pengendali takaful usaha sama dari Jepun beroperasi di Malaysia, katanya semasa merasmikan pembukaan cawangan Pulau Pinang Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi (M) Bhd.

Teks ucapan beliau dibacakan oleh Penolong Gabenor Donald Joshua Jaganathan.

Zeti berkata keputusan Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi untuk membuka cawangan terbaharunya di Pulau Pinang bukan sahaja disokong oleh kehadiran ramai pelanggan Jepun tetapi juga aktiviti pelaburan yang sedang dilaksanakan di wilayah utara Malaysia itu.

Beliau berkata meskipun pusat kewangan Malaysia telah beralih ke Kuala Lumpur, kepentingan Pulau Pinang sebagai penyumbang utama kepada ekonomi negara masih lagi ketara.

Pembukaan cawangan itu menunjukkan pengembangan berterusan sistem kewangan Malaysia dan disokong oleh ekonomi yang mantap dari segi fundamental yang terus mencatatkan prestasi baik semasa tempoh-tempoh mencabar ini, katanya.

Zeti berkata Asia terus menjadi pusat pertumbuhan penting dalam ekonomi global, katanya, sambil menambah walaupun pertumbuhan mungkin menyederhana, ia masih kekal pada paras yang masih dapat mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan.

Ini dipacu oleh permintaan domestik dan peningkatan hubungan antara ekonomi sedang pesat membangun di rantau ini, kata Zeti.

Beliau berkata keanjalan ekonomi dan sistem kewangan yang kukuh juga menyokong aliran ini.

"Di Malaysia, meskipun permintaan dari luar yang perlahan telah menjejaskan pertumbuhan kita, permintaan domestik kukuh dan hubungan ekonomi rapat di rantau ini terus menyokong pertumbuhan mampan," katanya. - Bernama

New banknotes feature latest technology, says Bank Negara

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — The new banknotes series, which will be issued into circulation on Monday, comes with the latest banknote technology to enhance security features, Bank Negara said today.

Source from (The Malaysian Insider): http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/new-banknotes-feature-latest-technology-says-bank-negara/
Published: July 12, 2012

The new technology would include shadow image, clear window, watermark portrait with pixel and highlighted numerals, colour shifting security thread, micro lens thread, perfect see-through register and coloured glossy patch, the central bank said in a statement.

Themed “Distinctively Malaysia”, the latest banknotes series draws its inspiration from the country’s diverse culture, heritage and nature, it said.

The bank said the visually impaired are able to use specific features such as tactile identification to identify and distinguish the different denominations.

The new banknotes series are in RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM100 denominations.

The RM20 banknote is reintroduced in this new series and polymer substrate is used for the RM1 and RM5 banknotes.

“The current RM50 banknote has been issued since December 2007 and will continue to remain in circulation,” it said.

Bank Negara urged the relevant parties to expedite their machine calibration to accept the new banknotes series for the people’s convenience.

The new banknotes will co-circulate with the existing banknotes which remain legal tender. — Bernama

Wang kertas baru dilengkapi teknologi terkini: Bank Negara

KUALA LUMPUR: Wang kertas siri baru, yang akan berada dalam edaran mulai Isnin, dilengkapi dengan teknologi wang kertas terkini untuk meningkatkan ciri-ciri keselamatan, kata Bank Negara hari ini

Source from (Berita Harian): http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Wangkertasbarudilengkapiteknologiterkini_BankNegara/Article/artikel
Published: July 12, 2012

Source from (Sinar Online): http://www.sinarharian.com.my/bisnes/wang-kertas-siri-baru-dilengkapi-teknologi-terkini-1.65941
Published: July 12, 2012

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2012&dt=0713&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_01.htm
Published: July 12, 2012


Beberapa contoh siri wang kertas baru yang mula diedarkan Isnin ini.

Teknologi baru itu akan termasuk imej tanda bayang, tingkap pandang telus, potret tera air dengan piksel dan angka, benang keselamatan dengan warna berubah-ubah, benang kanta mikro, tanda pandang telus dan petak kilat berwarna, kata bank pusat itu dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Bertema "Keunikan Malaysia", wang kertas terbaru itu diinspirasikan daripada kepelbagaian budaya, warisan dan alam semulajadi negara, katanya.

Bank itu berkata, mereka yang cacat penglihatan juga boleh menggunakan ciri-ciri spesifik seperti pengenalan sentuhan untuk mengenalpasti dan membezakan denominasi berlainan.

Siri wang kertas baru itu adalah dalam denominasi RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 dan RM100.

Wang kertas RM20 diperkenalkan semula dalam siri baru ini dan substrat polimer digunakan untuk wang kertas RM1 dan RM5.

"Wang RM50 yang digunakan sekarang telah dikeluarkan semenjak Disember 2007 dan akan kekal dalam edaran," katanya.

Bank Negara menggesa pihak berkaitan untuk mempercepatkan penentukuran mesin mereka untuk menerima wang kertas siri baharu ini untuk kemudahan orang ramai.

Wang kertas siri baharu ini akan berada dalam edaran bersama-sama wang kertas sedia ada yang kekal sah. - BERNAMA

Garis panduan BNM tidak jejas jualan kereta

KUALA LUMPUR 6 Julai - Frost & Sullivan masih mengekalkan unjuran jualan kenderaan sebanyak 612,000 buah tahun ini walaupun Bank Negara Malaysia mengetatkan garis panduan pinjaman.

Source from (Utusan Malaysia): http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2012&dt=0707&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Ekonomi&pg=ek_02.htm
Published: July 07, 2012

Katanya, peraturan ketat itu hanya memberi kesan kepada kenderaan kecil seperti Perodua Viva dan Proton Saga.

Bagaimanapun, kesannya dijangka berkurangan memandangkan syarikat-syarikat pengeluar kereta kini melaksanakan kempen pemasaran dan jualan dengan memberi potongan harga tinggi dan melaksanakan proses prakelulusan bagi para pelanggannya.

Rakan Bersama Frost & Sullivan dan Ketua Amalan Pengangkutan dan Automotif Asia Pasifik, Kavan Mukhtyar berkata, kadar penolakan permohonan pinjaman bagi kereta baru telah berkurangan sejak Mei 2012 kerana wakil peniaga dan bank sudah mula memahami garis panduan tersebut.

Dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini, Frost & Sullivan berkata, kereta hibrid akan terus mendapat permintaan disebabkan insentif menarik yang diberikan oleh kerajaan.

Dalam laporan itu, Frost & Sullivan berkata, segmen D (premium dan sedan besar) mencatatkan pertumbuhan pantas dengan kenaikan 30 peratus tahun ke tahun kepada 36,058 buah pada tahun ini.

Jualan itu akan dipacu oleh model baru Toyota Camry dan Honda Accord dan kereta mewah seperti BMW dan Mercedes Benz.

Segmen C pula dijangka berkembang sebanyak 5.0 peratus tahun ke tahun kepada 234,482 buah pada tahun ini, menjadikan ia penyumbang terbesar dalam jualan kenderaan di Malaysia, iaitu kira-kira 38.3 peratus.

Model-model baru seperti Proton Preve, Peugeot 408, Honda City FL, Honda Civic FMC dan Volkswagen Polo, selain kenderaan hibrid seperti Honda Insight FL dan Toyota Prius FL akan menyumbang kepada pertumbuhan segmen ini.

Bank Negara may maintain key rate at 3% until year-end

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara is expected to leave the overnight policy rate (OPR) unchanged, at least until the end of the year, says HSBC Global Research. The statement by the central bank on Thursday accompanying its announcement to leave the OPR unchanged at 3.0% signalled a further freeze in the policy rate, at least until year-end, said HSBC Global Research Asean economist Su Sian Lim.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/7/business/11621251&sec=business
Published: July 07, 2012

“Bank Negara did describe global uncertainties as considerable', but on the other hand there was recognition that financial market pressures had receded'. On balance, we think this makes for a neutral policy bias going forward,” she said in a statement.

“When economic conditions do allow, its next policy move we think likely early next year will be up, given very robust domestic demand conditions, and still-elevated house prices and debt levels,” she added.

She noted that with house prices and household debt at elevated levels, and domestic demand still clearly very robust, the central bank will remain cautious about loosening monetary policy.

Domestic demand is providing a powerful counter to the external slowdown and unless one or both of these take an unexpected turn for the worse, the more prudent policy option for Bank Negara would be to stand pat, she said.

“There is no reason to be pessimistic on the domestic outlook for now, with a general election around the corner, there are still generous subsidies and handouts to come.”

Meanwhile, the programmes that are driving investment growth are long-term, namely the Government and Economic Transformation Programmes (GTP and ETP, respectively).

The former is part of the government's plan to transform Malaysia into a high-income country by 2020, and among other things identified the improvement of basic rural infrastructure and urban public transport as key priority areas.

The ETP identified 12 key economic sectors as long-term growth drivers, including oil and gas, tourism, electronics and the development of the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley area. Bernama

Too good to be true, really

JASPAL Singh (not his real name) remembers attending a private seminar with a cousin many years ago, where the speaker was promoting a get-rich-quick scheme that involved investing in auctioned properties.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/7/business/11610558&sec=business
Published: July 07, 2012

Know how to sniff out shady deals that promise high returns on small investments

“There were many people at the event and the scheme seemed very legitimate. It promised high returns and for the first two years, the money was good.”

“But going into my third year, the whole thing fell apart. The money stopped coming in and one day, the whole operation just ceased to exist! I lost a lot of money between RM40,000 and RM50,000,” he recalls.



Jaspal is but one of many Malaysians who have been victims of get-rich-quick schemes, usually run by unlicensed, fly-by-night organisations. Unfortunately, such scams have been on the rise.

In 2009, The Star reported that the number of such scams had gone up nearly 27%, with the Federal Commercial Crimes Division announcing that over 17,000 case files were opened in 2008 compared with the year before, with financial losses estimated at RM845mil.

“Many people get lured into such scams simply because of greed. It's human nature,” says AmBank wealth management head Joshua Lim.

With such schemes showing no signs of abating, here are some simple principles to follow to avoid falling into one.

If the potential investment you're looking at asks little of you but promises extraordinary returns, chances are it's a scam, says MyFP Services Sdn Bhd managing director Robert Foo.

“They offer you returns that Bank Negara would die for,” he enthuses.

According to guidelines on the central bank's website, a get-rich-quick scheme is a plan which offers high or unrealistic rates of return for a small investment while at the same time promising that the investment is easy and risk-free.

Under its guidelines, Bank Negara prohibits schemes that involve illegal deposit taking activities and illegal foreign currency dealings.

“Check with the relevant authority before investing. Don't be pressured or rushed to invest. Be extra careful with investments over the Internet and be sceptical of any investment opportunity that is not in writing.
 

“In case an investment has been made, keep copies of all the documents and communication,” it says.

The important thing is that the investment must make sense, Foo tells StarBizWeek.

Try to understand what the scheme is investing in. If they tell you they're buying Genting shares, then you know that the investment is leveraging off the company's casino and leisure business.

“But if they give you all kinds of guarantee and can't explain how they derive their returns, then something is definitely wrong,” he says.

Jaspal advises potential investors to research further if they feel uncomfortable with the investment prospects that are being offered.

“The reason I got into that scheme was because I knew people who were already in it and they said they were making money. Everything seemed so legitimate and legal, especially at face value.”

According to him, the property investment scheme he was in involved the buying of auctioned properties from banks at discount prices and selling them at a profit.

“The scheme seemed like a no-brainer. You buy the properties cheap and sell them for a higher price. On paper, it looked good.”

He says that the “mastermind” of the entire scheme was in fact a lawyer. This made the whole thing feel even more legitimate.

“They had a office and made you go there regularly to sign documents. It all seemed so prim and proper that nobody bothered to check if the properties that were being purchased even really existed,” Jaspal says.

He recalls asking his frugal sister to invest.

“My sister was sceptical and I remember her asking some questions about the scheme, to which I had no answers to.”

Foo adds that most get-rich-quick schemes don't make you lose money initially.

“They try make it seem legitimate in the beginning by making it seem like those that were in early are making money. Usually what they do is they rotate the new investors' money and give it to those that have been around longer.”

Jaspal believes that was probably what was happening with the scheme he got involved in.

“I think they were taking money from the new members and giving it to the older ones. But after a while, this method stopped working and the mastermind absconded with a few million ringgit.”

Lim says potential investors should play their role and check if the scheme being offered is legal.

“Do your own investigation. Check with the regulators if it's licensed and whether the person selling the scheme is licensed.”

Bank Negara on its website advises potential investors to deal only with licensed financial institutions and authorised dealers. These include schemes authorised by commercial banks, Islamic banks, international Islamic banks, investment banks and other financial institutions (that are listed on its website).

If everything seems legitimate, but your hunch just tells you otherwise, look at the investment profile objectively, advises Lim.

“Consider if the investment matches the risk profile,” he says.

If you believe that the scheme you're involved in is in fact a scam, then get out as soon as possible, says Foo.

“If the scheme creates a run, the money may be frozen.”

Lim says victims of get-rich-quick scams should report the matter to the relevant authorities.

“Check with the regulator's website to see if there are reports on this,” he says, adding that investors who are unsure about what to do next (either before or after being scammed) can also consult a licensed financial planner for help.

Bank Negara also invites victims of get-rich-quick scams to provide details of the schemes they invested in, together with the relevant documents, to the central bank for further action.

Bank Negara wajar selesai pertikaian H&I Niaga

SHAH ALAM - Bank Negara wajar bertindak dengan ikhlas dalam menyelesaikan pertikaian dengan H&I Niaga Sdn Bhd, bekas kontraktor pembinaan Pusat Sumber Perkhidmatan Kewangan miliknya, meskipun syarikat itu telah diperintah agar ditutup oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur semalam, demikian kata Ahli Parlimen, Tony Pua hari ini.

Source from (Sinar Online): http://www.sinarharian.com.my/bisnes/bank-negara-wajar-selesai-pertikaian-h-i-niaga-1.63936
Published: July 06, 2012

"Jika tidak Bank Negara akan dilihat sebagai institusi tidak beretika, yang cuba melepaskan diri daripada kesilapan-kesilapan sendiri,” kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini.

Semalam, Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Mohammad Ariff Md Yusoff membenarkan permohonan Affin Bank untuk menutup H&I Niaga kerana gagal menjelaskan bayaran RM12.8 juta.

Pua berkata, kes saman RM131.9 juta ke atas Bank Negara kekal dan kini terserah kepada pemilik syarikat itu sama ada mahu meneruskan saman itu ke atas institusi kewangan ataupun sebaliknya.


Dalam satu kenyataan kelmarin, Bank Negara berkata, ia akan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya terhadap H&I Niaga.

Pada 20 Jun, H & I Niaga mengemukakan tuntutan saman bernilai RM131.9 juta terhadap bank pusat itu sebagai ganti rugi dan bayaran yang belum lunas bagi pembinaan bangunan itu.

Kontraktor Kelas A Bumiputera yang telah diberikan kontrak bernilai RM320.3 juta pada September 2005 itu mendakwa kontraknya telah ditamatkan secara salah pada 2010 setelah kerja pembinaan itu lebih daripada 90 peratus siap.

Bank Negara berkata, H&I Niaga pada awalnya telah merujuk pertikaian kontrak tersebut untuk penimbangtaraan, namun pada hari pertama sebutan kes itu di mahkamah, H&I Niaga telah menarik diri daripada proses penimbangtaraan ini.

Bank Negara berkata, ia mempunyai proses tadbir urus yang mantap dalam semua perkara yang dilaksanakan oleh bank.

Mengulas lanjut, Pua berkata, kenyataan itu bersifat tidak berasas kerana Bank Negara enggan bekerjasama dalam proses arbitrari dan bertindak untuk melengah proses bagi membolehkannya H&I Niaga tiada masa untuk menyelesaikan kes sebelum diisytiharkan sebagai ‘gulung tikar’.

Katanya, notis arbitrari telah dihantar kepada Bank Negara pada 13 September lalu tetapi pertemuan awal bagi arbitrari hanya diadakan pada 13 Januari lalu.

“Sebagai tambahan hanya pada 28 Mac, peguam-peguam Bank Negara memohon kos sekuriti, yang mana telah menyebabkan ketidakupayaan bagi H&I Niaga untuk bayar, (selain) telah memanjangkan keseluruhan proses arbitrari,” kata Pua yang juga Setiausaha Publisiti DAP.

“Pada 14 Jun, menjadi jelas kepada H&I Niaga bahawa Bank Negara tiada niat untuk menyelesaikan isu menerusi proses arbitrari dan menggunakan pelbagai cara untuk melengah-lengah proses (arbitrari),” kata beliau lagi.

Pua menambah, sekiranya Bank Negara jujur, sudah pasti ia tidak akan mengambil masa yang lama dan memohon mengenakan kos arbitrari.

“Sebenarnya, antara tempoh H&I Niaga telah ditamatkan kontrak pada 27 April 2010 dan keputusan untuk melalui arbitrari pada September 2011, syarikat itu telah cuba melalui pelbagai kaedah untuk mencari penyelesaian dengan Bank Negara tetapi tidak menemui hasil kerana Bank Negara tidak berhasrat untuk membayar satu sen pun,” dakwa beliau sambil menambah, tindakan bank pusat itu menamatkan kontraktor Bumiputera ini di peringkat akhir pembinaan selesai adalah sesuatu yang tidak logik.

Katanya lagi, tindakan itu bukan sahaja meletakkan H&I Niaga dalam keadaan sukar, malah telah memberi kesan ke atas subkontraktor.

“Keseluruhannya, H&I masih belum menjelaskan RM23.1 juta kepada subkontraktornya,” kata beliau lagi.

OPR kekal 3 peratus

Bank Negara Malaysia mengekalkan Kadar Dasar Semalaman (OPR), iaitu penanda aras bagi penentuan kadar faedah pinjaman asas (BLR) bank tempatan, pada kadar tiga peratus.

Source from (Berita Harian): http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/OPRkekal3peratus/Article
Published: July 06, 2012

Bank Negara ramal inflasi sederhana hingga akhir tahun

Keputusan itu dibuat Jawatankuasa Dasar Monetari (MPC) bank pusat itu pada mesyuaratnya semalam berdasarkan kadar inflasi dalam negara yang diunjurkan kekal sederhana dan masih wujudnya risiko kelembapan ekonomi global.

Bank Negara dalam kenyataannya mengumumkan keputusan itu menjelaskan, kadar pemulihan global telah menjadi sederhana sejak beberapa bulan lalu dengan perangkaan terkini menunjukkan kegiatan ekonomi lebih perlahan serta prospek pertumbuhan lebih mencabar di beberapa rantau di seluruh dunia.

Tambahnya, walaupun tekanan di pasaran kewangan antarabangsa telah reda susulan pengumuman dasar baru-baru ini untuk menangani krisis di Eropah, beberapa isu dasar yang penting masih belum diselesaikan dan menyebabkan pasaran kewangan terus tidak menentu.

“Kegiatan ekonomi di beberapa negara maju terus menerima kesan daripada pengukuhan fiskal berterusan, pengantara kewangan yang terjejas dan keadaan pasaran pekerja yang lemah,” katanya.

Bank pusat itu berkata, bagi ekonomi Malaysia, perangkaan terkini dan tinjauan terhadap keadaan perniagaan menunjukkan penggunaan dan pelaburan yang kekal berdaya tahan.

Pada masa akan datang, katanya permintaan dalam negara akan terus menjadi pendorong utama pertumbuhan ekonomi.

Pendapatan stabil

“Perbelanjaan isi rumah terus disokong persekitaran pekerjaan dan pertumbuhan pendapatan yang stabil, manakala aktiviti pelaburan pula dipacu industri berorientasikan dalam negera, sektor minyak dan gas serta kemajuan berterusan pembinaan infrastruktur,” katanya.

Bank Negara berkata, inflasi di negara ini dijangka kekal sederhana sehingga akhir tahun ini.

“Dengan wujudnya kapasiti berlebihan dalam ekonomi negara, permintaan dalam negara yang kukuh dijangka tidak akan mewujudkan keadaan inflasi,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya inflasi berdepan risiko untuk meningkat jika terdapat gangguan terhadap bekalan global yang mengakibatkan harga dunia lebih tinggi bagi komoditi, terutama tenaga.

Bank Negara maintains OPR at 3%

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara has maintained the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 3% after the monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting yesterday, a move widely expected by economists.

Source from (The Star Online): http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/7/6/business/11613238&sec=business
Published: July 06, 2012

Source from (Business Times): http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/rup05bb/Article/
Published: July 06, 2012

The central bank said headline inflation was expected to remain moderate for the remainder of 2012. Alliance Investment Bank Bhd chief economist Manokaran Mottain said Bank Negara’s move to maintain the OPR was expected.

He said the last time the central bank reviewed the OPR was in May 2011, with a 25-basis point hike. Since then, the benchmark policy rate has been maintained at 3%.

In a statement, the central bank said the pace of the global recovery had moderated in the recent months. It added that the latest data pointed to slower economic activity and more challenging growth prospects in several regions around the world.

Bank Negara said although pressures in the international financial markets have receded following the recent policy announcements to address the European crisis, a number of important policy issues remain unresolved and continue to unsettle financial markets.

“Economic activity in several of the advanced economies continues to be affected by ongoing fiscal consolidation, impaired financial intermediation and weak labour market conditions. In emerging economies, while domestic demand remains an important source of growth, exports are affected by weak external demand.”

In the domestic economy, recent data and surveys of business conditions suggest that consumption and investment activity remains resilient.

Looking ahead, Bank Negara said domestic demand would continue to be the anchor of growth.

“Household spending continues to be supported by stable employment conditions and income growth. The strong investment activity is mainly led by the domestic-oriented industries, the oil and gas sector and the steady progress in the construction of infrastructure projects,” it said.

adding that headline inflation was expected to remain moderate for the remainder of 2012.

The central bank said with some excess capacity in the economy, the strength of domestic demand was not expected to result in inflationary conditions.

“Global energy and commodity prices are likely to be contained given the weak global conditions. However, upside risks to inflation could emerge should disruptions to global supply result in higher global prices for these commodities,” it added.

In the MPC’s assessment, there continues to be considerable uncertainties in the global economic and financial environment. The MPC will continue to carefully assess these evolving conditions and their implications on the overall outlook for inflation and growth of the Malaysian economy.

Going forward, Manokaran expects the central bank to keep the rate steady, as long as growth remains healthy coupled with low inflation based on several assumptions.

Firstly, he said, at least a break-up of the Eurozone was avoided for now after the recent Greece elections and EU Summit, but a deeper recession appears certain. “Our outlook for a base-case for Malaysia is fitting – we are now projecting a slower gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.2% for this year, decelerating from 5.1% last year.”

“In the short-term, we expect real GDP growth to stay around 4% in second quarter 2012, moderating from 4.7% in first quarter – in line with the recent slowdown in economic activities and increasing vulnerability to the major industrial economies. The growth is still supported by strong domestic demand, though moderating from 10.4% in the final quarter of last year, to 7.4% in second quarter,” Manokaran said.

“With regard to inflation, we expect further moderation in prices ahead, at least for the next one quarter, on account of the impact of easing global commodity prices, global economic slowdown and weakening domestic demand. We expect price growth to moderate to between 1.4%-1.6% in this quarter, from 1.7% in May. Overall, we are now forecasting the consumer price index to hit 2% in 2012, moderating sharply from 3.2% last year.”