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After graduation, Pearly Lam was searching for her dreams as anyone out there. Despite numerous obstacles faced coupled with indifferent views of many people, she went for her own way to start a business. "The most important thing is I truly know and understand what I want in my future. The determination to become successful will decide how far I can survive in this society", said Pearly during the interview with Finance Malaysia. "I always believe in making things happen, and NOT waiting for things to be happened." Pearly Lam Interview highlights: Without any experience and knowledge of doing business, how you overcome it? Although I don't have any experience before, the determination to start my own business leads me to cross the first step. I believe no matter how big is the dream, how long is the journey would be, we need to start the very important first step to make our dreams a reality. For me, experience and knowledge can be gained along the way, as lo...

Just one week left before the Rabbit Year CNY, local and international press are publishing the high-profile Stanley Ho's family feud. While we're busily shopping during this festive season, many people are chasing the " family drama ", just like another popular Hong-Kong based production. Maybe, TVB's directors should consider converting the reality into a story-line drama/movie. I'm sure this could be a blockbuster-liked production. Hong Kong and Macau tycoon Stanley H o SJM Holdings' most popular casino, Grand Lisboa Obviously, fighting for money is very common nowadays especially for those wealthy families. To spice it up, the bigger the family was, the conflicts gets even greater. Reportedly, Stanley Ho who has 4 branches of family and 17 children sure will intensified the degree of fighting. Source: Wikipedia Who is Stanley Ho? Stanley Ho, also known as Ho Hung-sun, is an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau.  Nickname " King of Gambling "...

As expected, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75% yesterday. This was the 3rd time in a row that BNM left it unchanged. Are there any hints by BNM on Malaysia's economy this year? We can explore the "hidden messages" from the monetary policy statement as below: Regional Front: While advanced economies continue to register modest growth, most emerging economies have experienced strong growth. For Asian region, domestic economic activity continues to support the growth momentum amid weaker external demand. Shifts in global liquidity have resulted in significant capital flows into the emerging economies , in particular, Asian region, and have brought with it risks to macroeconomic and financial stability. The region is also being affected by global inflationary pressure arising from the higher commodity and food prices. On Malaysia: Recent indicators point towards a sustained expansion in private sector activity. External...

If you ask any broker or remisier out there, they may show their unity in explaining the 2 weeks down trend of KLCI, by saying " Pre-CNY profit-taking ma ". Sounds so familiar every year? Yes. This is a very good excuse for them or even fund managers to explain the sudden down trend, which caught many investors who jumps in the 2011 new year rally just three weeks ago. Pre-CNY surprise? When will market rebound? Today, investors are experiencing a KLCI rebound, be it technically or not, right before CNY next week. Before this, many of us are predicting a "risky" January, given the rich valuation KLCI commanding after 2010 run-up. In December 2010, we are still in a very cautious mode, only to find out that KLCI reaches a fresh one week all-time high right after 2011. The rally caught investors by surprise, and the great profit-taking too... KLCI are expected to rebound after yesterday morning staggering 20 points slump, only to recover shortly to close 6 points dow...

Post-financial crisis, bonds remain the preferred asset class for more conservative investors because it is less volatile than equities . Asia, for example, remains a sound investment destination with rapid urbanization as a younger and higher population growth will necessitate greater infrastructure spending in the coming years. To provides the golden opportunity, CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd has launched a new fund, that allows investors to capitalise on Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Middle East 's improving credit conditions given the high potential of more rating upgrades. "The demand for high-quality bonds in these targeted countries continues to remain high given the low interest rates outlook in the US and Europe, and this should support bond prices for the next few years. In addition, the slower economic recovery of these developed markets is shifting investment appetite to Asia. Combined with the likelihood of bond rating upgrades , this will mean potentia...

Brought to you by "Ernst & Young", the Globalization Index was created to measure the extent to which the 60 largest economies (by GDP) are connecting to the rest of the world. The indicators fall into 5 broad categories: Openness to trade Capital movements Exchange of technology and ideas Labor movements Cultural integration   How did Malaysia fared in 2010? Yes... Malaysia perform better by sitting on the 27th place, one spot ahead of US!!! On top of that, we're globalizing better than BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries. Of course, the Index has its method of measurements. Top 10 ranking How did the Index measures? The Index measures " relative " rather than "absolute" globalization. This means that an economy's trade, investment, technology, labor and cultural integration with other economies is measured relative to its GDP rather than by the absolute value of these elements being exchanged. As a result, smaller economies (like...

Leap, Leap, Leap to greater prosperity in the year of Rabbit. In conjunction with the coming festive season, banks are going all out to lure their customers from all angle. It ranges from deposit, investment, insurance, credit cards, and of course shopping and dining. In order to stay relevant, Finance Malaysia is proud to highlights some of the promotions. Deposit CNY Promotion: Hong Leong Saving Account CNY Promotion: UOB Deposit Investment Public Bank is offering auspicious works of art (prosperity fish, peach, and bowl) to customers who invests a minimum of RM50,000 in Unit Trust, plus RM2,000 in Bancassurance or RM50,000 in Foreign Currency Fixed Deposit. CNY Promotion: Public Bank (Investment + Banca / Foreign Currency FD) Eat, Eat, Eat... Enjoy FREE salmon "yee sang" with your AmBank credit card Enjoy 'Extravagant 8 Menu' for just RM888++ with Standard Chartered credit cards.

It was reported that ASEAN, which comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, is going big in World Cup. Since all of these countries did not manage to qualify on the pitch, they're going through back-doors. ASEAN is going to bid for FIFA World Cup 2030 !!! Wow... When I first heard about this news, I am very excited. But, after calming down and figured it out, I doubt ASEAN could succeed in bidding the world's most popular event because of the following reasons. Second surprise came, when Malaysia was said to lead the pack for the bidding. Malaysia, the unlikely team which became the winner of ASEAN cup recently, may found ourselves " syok sendiri ". Common Sense Our level is nowhere near the World Cup level. Although we still have plenty of time before 2030, ASEAN needs much efforts to up the level, at least on par with South Korea. To select a team who represents all the hosting countries, it would ...

Lately, SP Setia is in full limelight in local bourse due to some of the announcements made. And, yesterday, SP Setia was awarded a contract and proposed some of the corporate exercises subsequently. Below is some of the useful summary for investors keeping abreast with the latest developments: The Bangsar land deal SP Setia was acquiring a 40-acre land along Jalan Bangsar via a land swap deal Government to acquire land in Setia Alam from SP Setia Develop a fully integrated health and research complex to be known as 1NIH Complex in Setia Alam under the Ministry of Health's purview Redevelop the swapped land into an integrated mixed residential and commercial project and give the Government a 20% profit sharing. Source: OSK Researc h The Proposed Corporate Exercises Proposed private placement of up to 15% of paid-up share capital via book-building for the following purposes: - RM6bn KL EcoCity, which comprises a corporate tower block and retail podium - Setia City project, which ...

Recently, theStar highlighting a serious issue pertaining to insurance claims - Fraud Claims . It even started with staggering paragraph "Fingers have been chopped off, medical ailments exaggerated and even death faked - all for the purpose of fraudulent insurance claims". Among the issues: RM500 mil in bogus insurance claims are detected each year At least 2 insurance firms have folded as a result of high compensation claims compounded by fraud Insurance firms fight back by setting up special fraud detection units Regarding to this topic, Finance Malaysia would like to shares some views here pertaining to the effects on Malaysians as a whole. And, most importantly, the impact of insurer would definitely pass it to people insured. Why I said so? First, you must understand how insurance companies compute their premiums charged to each clients. If the insurer is financially stronger, it may charged a lower premium for the same amount of coverage on its policies. In other wor...

After being granted the licenses of fund management and corporate finance last year, Goldman Sachs has since establish an exclusive partnership with RHB Investment Management Bhd to jointly develop fund management products for distribution to investors in Malaysia. RHB-GS BRIC Equity Fund is the maiden fund from the partnership, and also the first fund being launched by RHB Investment Management this year. The fund's objective is to seek to achieve long-term capital appreciation through investment in a collective investment scheme, which invests primarily in securities of Brazilian, Russian, Indian and Chinese companies. Investment Strategy... The feeder fund will invest at least 95% of the Fund's NAV in "Goldman Sachs BRICs Portfolio" (Target Fund), which is a portfolio of Goldman Sachs Funds incorporated on 5th November 1992. Click here to Download Prospectus  

As the conduit of everyday business, the financial sector lies at the centre of any modern economy. Asia is in an exciting stage of economic development and its financial sector, which mirrors this dynamism, is set to enjoy strong growth potential. Participate in Asia's financial sector that stands at the heart of Asia's investment story. OSK-UOB is introducing the OSK-UOB Asia Financials Fund , with tag line: " The Heart of Asia's Investment Story ". Key highlights during the new fund launching:- Banks are poised to grow with strong balance sheets Life insurance and consumer credit are still below the levels of more developed nations Greater capital market activities are also due to benefit Asian investment banks Asia, excluding Japan, is expected to register an estimated GDP of 8% in 2011 Asia Pacific region is also expected to surpass North America as the region with the largest high net worth individual wealth by 2013 This translates to for financial instituti...

KLCI is grappling up for a successful 4 days in a row this week, and perhaps today is the 5th day of record breaking level. However, I am concerned about the health and the sustainability of the market, after reading a report by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). And, one of the popular Mandarin Dailies highlighted the potential food crisis as its main topic today. Finance Malaysia did some analysis, and would like to comment on the issue which could be a hot topic for many nations very soon, including Malaysia. In fact, international prices of most agricultural commodities have increased in recent months, some sharply. This has led to a level near to its peak in June 2008. What causing the prices to increased? worsening outlook for crops in key producing countries, which require large draw downs of stocks and result in tighter global supply and demand balances of course, weakening USD, which continues to sustain the prices of nearly all commodities continuo...

To capture the feel-good sentiment of local property market, Sunway City Bhd launched its latest integrated mixed development, Sunway Nexis , located at Dataran Sunway, Petaling Jaya. It was launched following the success of Sunway Giza, which open its doors recently. The development is being undertaken by Sunway Damansara Sdn Bhd, with a gross development value (GDV) of RM 500 million . A mixed commercial development sprawling over 5.83 acres Situated at the junction of Persiaran Surian and Jalan PJU 5/1A Located within the main commercial hub in Dataran Sunway Well serviced by a number of highways including NKVE, LDP and SPRINT Modern 3 storey retail shops priced at RM4million and above A 13-storey office suites block, priced more than RM 700,000 each unit A 20-storey flexi office block Source: Sunway City Bhd, Business Times

During 4Q 2010, there were a series of positive news brought into construction sector. These news could possibly bring some cheers for local contractors during the " award ceremony " soon. To summarize it, let us examined and explored the news highlighted in 4Q 2010 for construction sector:- OSK Research: KL Mass Rapid Transit , with the cabinet approving 1 of the 3 lines proposed, which will run from Sg Buloh to Kajang. It is said that the Government will set up an SPV to fund the RM36bn job via bonds and other capital market instruments. Tenders for the Sg Buloh-Kajang line will be open in April while construction will commence in July. Gamuda-MMC JV, which was recently appointed as Project Delivery Partner, to be the ultimate beneficiary of the MRT. The JV is only allowed to tender for the tunneling works estimated at RM14bn. Construction of the RM5bn Warisan Merdeka development is said to be slated to commence this year for implementation in 3 phases over 10 years. Among...

As the economy recovers, don't expect employment to improve in the manner of past recoveries. Long term unemployment is here to stay for the US for a similar set of reasons that have made long term unemployment a permanent feature of the European economic landscape. Hiring people costs too much. That is it -- pure and simple. If you offer an employee a salary of $ 35,000 per year and if $ 35,000 respresented your actual annual cost of the employee, there would be little or no unemployment in the US or in Europe. But, it doesn't work that way. Where to begin? How about Social Security and Unemployment Compensation? Need we mention health care? How about mandated family leave and mandated paid sick leave (by many states). What about the right to sue your employer if another employee is guilty of .... you name it....racial or sexual discrimination, etc., etc. How does the threat of a multi million dollar lawsuit feel if you are a small business? Especially if the allege...

By Finance Malaysia, Driven by better economy prospects, Malaysia successfully escape recession two years ago, particularly March 2009. Strong GDP growth and numerous government's initiatives is the main reason why local market experiencing a spectacular run-up since then. Today, our KLCI break another record high , by closing at 1551.89 points. So, what is the outlook for Malaysia in 2011? Maybank expects KLCI will hit 1,700 mark in 201 1 KLCI The Malaysia Index will continue to perform in line with the overall economy. More IPO will be issue. More merger & acquisitions activities will be seen. KLCI will be driven by the following factors:- Improving sentiment Follow through momentum from all time high Hot capital inflows Improving liquidity Boost by plantation and oil & gas heavyweights, such as IOI, Sime and PetroChem Preferred sector(s)... Finance sector will continue to do well in line with the economy 2011 will be a "Grammy Awards" show for construction ...

Strategically located between Puchong, Seri Kembangan and Putrajaya, a new shopping mall within a park was planned to open in October 2011. Said to be first of its kind in Malaysia, the mall was dubbed as an one-stop outdoor living mart. Popular MyFM DJ, Jack Lim (林德荣) The Project:- Undertaken by Green Atmosphere Sdn Bhd (GA) Called " Garden Explore " RM 20 million Gross Development Value Occupying 5.9 ha of land area, which was leased from Tempo Properties Sdn Bhd for 10 years Covering 7 major zones of outdoor retailing lots, a plaza and entertainment hall, offices, cafes, restaurants and one petting zoo Construction will start work after Chinese New Year The People Behind:-  Radio Station MyFM's Jack Lim, director of GA Former actor, Nick JM Wong, managing director of GA Weng Zheng Steel Bhd chariman Tan Ching Kee, adviser Source: Business Times, Bernama