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Thu, May 17, 2012

Making Sens

Making Sens

Facebook’s IPO – wait first, buy later

Posted on 7 May 2012 - 04:50am

Tan Siok Choo

FACEBOOK’S stratospheric valuation for its long-awaited listing is triggering a tsunami of divergent opinion about the likely gains and risks potential investors will face.

Immodest price for a most Ru imperial ware

Posted on 23 April 2012 - 04:48am

Tan Siok Choo

BLUISH-GREEN in colour, this lobed Northern Song dynasty brush washer measured just 13.5cm in diameter. AFP described this shallow bowl as "modest-looking".

Unconventional choice of nominee

Posted on 9 April 2012 - 04:47am

GLOBAL health expert Jim Yong Kim is President Obama’s nominee to become World Bank president. He is an unconventional choice but could be noteworthy for the global development lender, and from a different perspective, for Malaysia.

Watchwords for 2012

Posted on 25 March 2012 - 07:23pm
Last updated on 25 March 2012 - 08:03pm

Tan Siok Choo

BY any yardstick, the Bank Negara Report 2011 makes sombre reading. While pessimism isn’t warranted, the watchwords this year should be caution tinged with optimism.

For the current year, Bank Negara expects the Malaysian economy’s growth to range from 4.5% to 5% – lower than the 5% to 6% forecast by the Finance Ministry when the Budget was presented five months ago.

Founders and successors

Posted on 11 March 2012 - 07:03pm
Last updated on 12 March 2012 - 12:40am

Tan Siok Choo

IMPLEMENTING succession in family-owned firms or companies helmed by a founder is challenging, recent newspaper articles show. While interest in the succession invariably focuses on the "who", it is arguable the "when" and "how" are equally critical.

Also notable, women are increasingly successful at the helm of family-owned companies.

The debate continues

Posted on 26 February 2012 - 07:30pm

Tan Siok Choo

ON Feb 18, 800 people crammed into the ballroom of the Berjaya Times Square Hotel to listen to the debate between MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

EPF: A more sacred cow than NFC

Posted on 13 February 2012 - 04:49am

Tan Siok Choo

PROPOSING the Employees Provident Fund lend RM1.5 billion for housing loans was politically inept and a public relations fiasco. Despite Herculean damage control efforts, several questions remain unanswered.

Indonesia’s economy re-rated

Posted on 30 January 2012 - 04:50am

Tan Siok Choo

AFTER 14 years, Indonesia regained in mid-December 2011 the investment grade rating it lost during the Asian Financial Crisis.

Last month, Fitch raised its assessment of Indonesia’s long-term foreign and local currency debt from BB+ to BBB-, a move the rating agency said was prompted by the country’s resilient economic growth, low government debt and prudent policies.

Unwise to liberalise foreign labour sector

Posted on 16 January 2012 - 04:47am

Tan Siok Choo

IN an unprecedented move towards the close of last year, the cabinet decided to allow foreign workers to be employed in 10 new sectors and 11 sub-sectors in the services industry for two years. Despite its short-term nature, this decision is troubling for several reasons.

First, will employers use this period to restructure their operations to enable greater use of Malaysians?

Important lessons in history

Posted on 2 January 2012 - 04:48am

Tan Siok Choo

WHEN I was a schoolgirl, the only subject my father wanted me to excel in was history. Unfortunately, it wasn't my best subject. Undaunted, my father seized every opportunity to underscore the importance of studying history.

In April 1968, my parents brought my younger sister and me for our first visit to India.