Sunday, December 29, 2013

Bull run takes Bursa to record high

can it extended till pre and post chinese new year period? better log in some profit( if there is any!)
 
KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia continued its bull run this week by closing at an all-time high yesterday, powered by select blue-chip gains as investors rode on positive external sentiments.


The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) gained 16.96 points, or 0.9 per cent, to settle at 1,861.06 points, surpassing the previous high of 1,850.9 recorded on December 17.

In its research note, JF Apex Securities Bhd said FBM KLCI’s gains were buoyed by the inspiring performances in the United States and Asian markets amid an improvement in the US labour
market.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd vice-president and head of retail research, Dr Nazri Khan, told Bernama that the improving market is a good sign as traders anticipate next year to be a good year.

“This is more than just window-dressing. This is fund accumulation in anticipation of a stronger year,” he said.


Meanwhile, Mercury Securities head of research Edmund Tham said the FBM KLCI uptrend did not reflect the broader market as the trading volume was low and buying was more focused on index-linked counters.

“It’s selective window-dressing in blue chips and key heavyweights, not the whole market,” Tham said.

Market volume yesterday rose to 1.18 billion shares worth RM1.28 billion from 905.01 million shares worth RM818.25 million on Thursday.

Gainers thumped losers 496 to 261. Top gainers included Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, which surged 50 sen to RM24.60, Tenaga (46
sen to RM11.60), PPB Group (26 sen to RM15.96) and Petronas Gas (20 sen to RM23.98).








Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Reform of the Civil Service: The NUCC is the Last Hope

 

Koon Yew Yin 29th Nov 2013

To say that the newly established National Unity Consultative Council has been greeted with a big yawn by the public is too kind. Feedback so far especially over the uncensored internet has ranged from scepticism – “a political wayang” to the dismissive – “a waste of taxpayers’ money and time” and “expect NUCC to go the way of the 1Malaysia slogan”. One reader has already predicted that “it will soon be known as the ‘No Use Consultative Council (NUCC)’.”

Part of the reason for the criticism is that among the group appointed to forge a new direction in national unity are some well-known apple polishers who have risen to where they are because of their prowess in flattering the Barisan Nasional. On the bright side, those appointed could have been much worse - think of what outcome we will have if the Government had appointed Riduan Tee or Awang Selamat.

Another problem is the restricted terms of reference set up for the Council which can discuss only four subject areas - laws, the federal constitution, values and programmes. Why this limitation if not to prevent discussion of sensitive areas is the obvious conclusion to reach.

Include Civil Service Reform in NUCC Agenda

For me, if the Council really wants to be taken seriously, it should include the civil service as one of the areas of examination covering all the four topics. There is no doubt that one of the pivotal players in national unity – perhaps the most pivotal - is the civil service. Unlike the politicians of whom there are only a few tens of thousands, the civil service employs over 1.5 million staff. We have one of the highest if not the highest number of civil servants per capita in the world! Their actions and decisions extend into every area of life and affect all Malaysians – from the time when the child is in the womb until after he or she dies.

Let me put a question to the NUCC. Is it not clear that the drastic decline in national unity has coincided with an increasingly Malay dominated civil service with the non-Malay bumiputra component, increasingly marginalized and reduced to single digit numbers in terms of their participation in key national ministries and agencies?

It will be revealing if the Government can reveal the racial composition of the civil service today. According to one estimate the proportion of Malays in the civil service had grown from 60% in 1970 to 77% for the year 2005. Today nearly 10 years later what is the proportion of non-Malays in the civil service?

Is it 20%? Is it 15%; or perhaps even less? I am happy to see that the Malays have made big strides in participation in the private sector since 1969. But what about the participation of the non-Malays in the public sector which was promised to by the New Economic Policy?

If the Government had upheld the provision of the NEP calling for restructuring of the civil service to increase non-Malay participation, I am sure that the thousands of racially and religiously sensitive or controversial incidents happening almost on a daily basis nation-wide will be dramatically reduced.

A multi-racial and multi-religious civil service is the cornerstone of a united and social cohesive Malaysia. It is also the cornerstone of social and economic development as it ensures a representative system based more on merit.

Suggestions for NUCC

I would like to propose the following steps to be taken by the NUCC when it meets.
  1. Request for data on the civil service racial composition and for the number to be broken down by government department – police; land and district offices; Ministry of Education; public universities; local councils; etc. This should be a time series for the past 20 years so they can see the actual situation in each major sector of the civil service.
  2. Undertake a thorough and full evaluation of the implications of the trend towards a mono-ethnic civil service and examine whether this trend is desirable in the interest of national unity and social cohesion as well as national socio-economic development.
  3. Make use of policy studies on the civil service and their proposals as a basis for a strategy of reform and to make the civil service more multi-racial. The most relevant one is the paper, Towards a Representative and World Class Civil Service. This was part of the studies in the Centre for Public Policy Studies report, Proposals for the Ninth Malaysia Plan, ASLI, Kuala Lumpur, February 2006. It provides a methodology for recruitment of non-Malays and rebalancing towards a multi-racial civil service which protects existing Malay rights. Members of the NUCC should review the methodology which provides a compromise for a more racially representative civil service that can be accepted by all communities.
Civil Service as the Key Cog of Development

Malaysia's poor performance is largely due to the inefficient civil service. For any organization, business or government to do well, they must have good people to manage. The government must employ more non Malays and practice meritocracy in the selection and promotion of the employees.

Malaysians know that we started off in the 1960s well ahead of South Korea, Taiwan and on the same level as Singapore. Today, these countries are in a completely different league of development. The answer to the riddle of why they have moved ahead so quickly is partially due to their civil service. Focused, efficient, based on merit and most of all, united, they have been the engines of growth accounting for the remarkable progress made in their societies.

In contrast, the Malaysian civil service has followed a different trajectory. Unfocussed, inefficient, with merit a secondary factor in recruitment, not representative and hence a dis-unifying factor – it is no surprise that the civil service is a critical blockage to unity and development.

I am confident that the majority of the NUCC members will agree that the present racial composition of the civil service is adversely affecting national unity, social cohesion and economic competitiveness.

I hope the NUCC can rise to the challenge to push for the reform of the country’s civil service which can enable all communities to be represented in reasonable numbers and help Malaysia to rise above race and religion.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

MATRIX

FROM HONG LEONG INVESTMENT BERHAD

Matrix Concepts (BUY)
Good set of results; raising our TP
 
§ We attended MCH’s quarterly investor’s briefing and came away with these key takeaways: (1) Earnings continuity via clear landbanking strategy thru FY14-15; (2) Rising land prices in the vicinity to provide another round of rerating catalyst; and (3) Despite already meeting our 4Q dividend forecast for FY13, we believe MCH should be declaring a final dividend in 4Q.
 
§ We re-iterate ourBUY call on MCH, with TP unchanged at RM4.51 (35% discount to RNAV). MCH remains our top pick for the sector.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Reality check on debt mountain---- by alan tong kok mau

Reality check on debt mountain
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A YOUNGSTER came to me recently to seek views about his financial stress. He says the first thing he does when he gets his pay cheque is to repay loans, including a car loan, credit card payments and personal loan. Owning a house is on his wish list, but it is yet to be realised.

His case mirrors many similar situations faced by Malaysians nowadays, not only confined to the younger generation. It has become a concern to the authorities as our household debt ratio against the GDP (gross domestic product) has reached an all-time high of 83% as of March this year, the highest for a developing country in the region. In comparison, Indonesia’s household debt ratio stands at 15.8%, Hong Kong at 58%, and Singapore at 67%, according to Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s comment recently.

While we are concerned about the high debt level, we should also take a closer look at the root cause. What is underneath the “debt mountain” and how can we address the issue?

The major components of household debt are housing, car, personal and credit card loans. According to Bank Negara statistics, as at April 2013, the total residential housing loans taken by Malaysians is RM316.2bil, passenger car loans amounts to RM145bil, personal loans stand at RM55.8bil, and credit card loans at RM32.3bil.

In terms of debt ratio for the four components mentioned above, housing loans account for 57.5% of the total debt, with car, personal and credit card loans accounting for 26.5%, 10% and 6% respectively (see chart).

As housing loans seem to be the biggest contributor to household debt, there are already several measures being put in place to cool the housing sector and to curb mortgage growth.

However, if we take further steps to scrutinise the breakdown of the loans, and study the interest incurred in absolute terms, and the appreciation or depreciation in value of the underlying assets, we will soon discover the source of the real burden.

Property is truly an asset, compared with a car, personal loan or credit card spending in which the value of the purchases depreciates over time.

According to the Malaysian House Price Index by the National Property Information Centre, the overall housing price in Malaysia has increased by an average of 5% every year since 2000. Thus, servicing a housing loan is like paying for “good debt” as the asset will gain in value in the long term and eventually protect us against the inflation.

On the other hand, based on car insurance calculations and accounting practice, the value of cars depreciates about 10% to 20% per year. This means that the car loan and interest is paid for item that is contracting in value every year, it is a liability instead of an asset.

In addition, based on our current structure, the average interest rate for housing loan is 4.2%. If we apply this rate across the board, the absolute interest incurred for RM316.2bil housing loan will be about RM13.3bil a year, which is only 43% in terms of absolute interest paid compared with its loan amount component of 57.5%.

Whereas, personal loans which account for only 10% of the total household debt, would incur absolute interest of 22% of overall household debt due to its high interest rate of 12%.

As mentioned in some of my previous articles, the younger generation is advised to purchase a house instead of a car first. Let’s visualise this via the following scenarios.
Let’s assume a young couple which has a household income of RM6,000. The ideal mortgage (housing loan) repayment is always one third of the income, i.e. RM2,000.
After deducting RM2,000 from their income, they will still have RM4,000 household income available.

If the couple decides to own a car, the loan repayment, petrol, parking and maintenance fees are most likely to come up to RM1,000 to RM1,500 depending on the types of car they are getting.

This leaves the family with a household income of only RM2,500 to RM3,000 provided they are just owning one car instead of two.

With the same household income, if the couple decides to utilise public transport, the monthly transport expenses may be in the range of RM300 to RM400 for two persons. They will still have a household income of RM3,600 every month after paying for house loan interest and transportation cost.

To help lessen the debt burden of the rakyat, the authorities must accelerate the effort of providing comprehensive public transportation network including MRT, buses, mini buses and taxis, to reduce public dependency on private vehicles.

A total review on the cost of car and motorcycle ownership in Malaysia would also help reduce this debt burden.

For households that wish to reduce their debt level, they should avoid the temptation of instant gratification, and instead should place importance to assets that grow in value.

When we look in detail at the household debt level of the nation, it provides more insights than the headline number at first glance. Sometimes, it is as simple as to differentiate the “healthy” debt from the rest to make a significant difference in our financial position.


FIABCI Asia-Pacific Regional secretariat chairman Datuk Alan Tong has over 50 years of experience in property development. He is also the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. For feedback, please email feedback@fiabci-asiapacific.com.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

DIGI and Sunway REIT(stocks of my interest)

from kenanga
 
DIGI: Its 2QFY2013 higher revenue was driven by increasing mobile internet usage. Some 64% of its subscribers are mobile internet users while smartphone penetration stood at 30.4%.

DIGI’s strategy to bundle voice and SMS into its data packages appears to be paying off, offsetting the decline in SMS revenue a subscribers turn, increasingly to messaging apps such as Whats-App. Voice revenue appears to have stabilized.

In tune with the global trend data, data consumption will continue to grow as more users upgrade from feature to smartphones coupled with increasing proliferation of tablet devices. Faster network speed and better consumer experience will further promote data usage. The average data consumption for smartphones is on an upward trajectory.

DIGI is positioned to capture this growth now (July 2013) that it has almost completed its network modernization exercise. The company has expanded its 3G coverage to 72% of the population and it is targeted to reach 75% by end 2013. The joint built fibre, with Celcom too is progressing well with some 1012km completed.

After the same time, the company has also started rollout for the next generation LTE network, beginning with the Klang Valley and it is slated to reach 1500 sites by end 2014.
 
While DIGI is not expected to excite with a blazing pace of growth, expect the company to report decent earnings expansion going forward. Its strong cash flow would also ensure steady and consistent dividend payments.
At the prevailing price of rm4.63, the stock is trading at lower valuations compared with Maxis and at just a slight premium to M1 and Starhub. Earnings for all telcos are predominantly domestic based whereas Axiata and SIngtel have wider geographical footprints. Overseas expansion offers the potential for stronger growth but also carry higher risks.
Although DIGI’s dividend yield for the current year (FY2013) is comparatively lower, there is a good chance for dividend growth gong forward. Due to the company’s limited reserves (following bumper dividends and capital repayments over the past few years), dividend payments are capped to annual earnings.
Given DIGI’s track record for returning excess cash to shareholders, estimates the company will pay out all of its profits
Note that should DIGI adopt a business trust structure – a move that is currently (July 2013) – the total dividends payable would likely exceed its existing estimates.
DiGi.Com Bhd is set for higher margins in the second half 2013 with potential for more capital distribution if it adopts a business trust structure.
The ending of additional operations and maintenance expenses relating to network upgrades in second half of 2013 would give a lift to DiGi’s margins. This also sets a higher (margin) base for 2014, and is a catalyst for a re-rating.
At higher levels of payout from DiGi going forward, as its parent Telenor will be making significant investments in Myanmar. There is a high probability that DiGi will take on a business trust structure which will enable it to distribute more capital (as it will benefit Telenor).
Sunway REIT: There are a myriad factors that would likely temper interest in REITS at least in the near to medium term.
Key among the issues is expectations of a gradual normalization of global interest rates from historic low levels as the US starts to roll back its aggressive monetary policies. Rising yields on risk free government bonds would render fixed income bonds and high yielding stocks less attractive.
Generally speaking, the latter category should fare comparatively better expectations that corporate earnings growth will translate into higher yields – and yields – over time. IN this respect, REITs could face some challenges.
High property prices make it difficult for REITs to expand via acquisition of quality, yield accretive assets. In the absence of new acquisitions, REITs would be dependent on organic rental increases to drive earnings.
For Sunway REIT, its earnings over the next two years from Aug 2013 will be affected by major asset enhancement initiative, currently (Aug 2013) ongoing for the Sunway Putra Mall. The trust acquired Sunway Medical Centre at end 2012 and income from the property will help partially offset the loss of earnings from Sunway Putra Mall.
Expect distribution per unit to drop in 2014 and 2015.
Occupancy and rental outlook for the office segments is downbeat on the back of forecasts of space over supply over the next few years from 2013. This will translate into limited income growth for many of the office focused trusts.
Office properties in Sunway REIT’s portfolio saw pressure in its last financial year ended June 2013. With a significant portion of leases up for renewal in FY2014 and FY2015, earnings could see further downside risks.
Sunway’s REIT’s hotel assets also fared poorly in FY2013 with revenue down on the back of lower occupancy. The trust is relying on its retail assets to be the primary driver for the growth.
Revenue from its four retail assets, combined was up 1.3% year on year contributing to 71% of Sunway REIT’s total revenue in FY2013.
Sunway REIT’s flagship Sunway Pyramid shopping mall registered 18.1% rental reversion for leases renewed in FY2013 which accounted for about a quarter of total net lettable area. The shopping mall alone contributed to 57% of total turnover for the trust.
With another 52.5% of its leases due in FY2014, Sunway REIT is banking on FY2014 rental, reversion to sustain earnings – partially offsetting the loss of income from Sunway Putra Mall which is close for two years from 2013 for extensive refurbishment. Refurbishment works are likely to affect occupancy at its adjoining hotel and office tower.
The trust has earmarked some rm500 million in capex over the FY2014 to FY2015 for various AEIs. Other than Sunway Putra Mall, it is also undertaking AEI at Sunway Pyramid which will see some 20362 sq ft of additional retail space.
Going forward, new retail space, with a number of sizeable shopping malls coming into the market amid slower consumption, could pressure overall occupancy and future rental increases.
 
 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Why SellDown In Malaysian Equities Market

From Mr Kok Chin Keong of kenanga investment, thanks

Why SellDown In Malaysian Equities Market

Asian markets fell sharply while currencies also weakened as foreign funds reduced their shareholdings in emerging economies and headed back to developed markets.

The slide in Malaysian equities was also in line with the current (Aug 2013) regional markets, including Indonesia and Thailand on weakening economic growth. There were rising concerns about a contagion effect from Indonesia.

World shares sank as unease about an expected cut in U.S. stimulus and a related rise in bond yields left markets on edge.

Such concerns are also spooking Malaysian investors with Malaysia's own current account surplus witnessing a narrowing trend over the past few quarters.

Economists predict that Malaysia’s current account surplus will continue to shrink on sluggish exports. Some also did not rule out the possibility of a current account deficit in the second quarter 2013. If that happened, it would be the first since 1997.

Malaysia also is vulnerable to the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) plans to scale back on its loose monetary policy because foreign funds holds a large chunk of its bonds. Foreigners held an estimated 46.8% of domestic debt securities worth RM228.9 billion in June, down from 49.5% in May 2013.

Foreign funds were also net sellers of Malaysian stocks for the past three weeks. In the last three weeks, a total of RM2.1 billion had left Malaysia equity.

The Fed's meeting on Wednesday as a potential "flashpoint" for the equity market as it may contain "insight" of the the Fed's level of commitment to scale back on its asset purchases come September 2013.

Market turbulence was bound to pick up further as the Fed starts to switch policy direction. People will start to wonder whether there is anything in the fixed income world that is really safe.

Things may only settle down once the Fed’s plans become clear. The base case is that the Fed will announce the start of a modest and gradual tapering at its Sept 2013 meeting. By then, it should be fully prized in, so it seems logical that we would see some degree of stabilization.
If we also get a continued improvement in Chinese economic data, then Asian currencies could find a more solid floor but for now (Aug 2013), having gained so much on the back of Fed from 2009 to 2012, some of that is being given back.



Friday, August 16, 2013

Investing 101 – Knowing Yourself


Investing 101 – Knowing Yourself

 

Before you set out to ask yourself what type investment you should pursue, you need to ask yourself: what kind of investor am I? 

 

This is an extremely important question because every person is different and every investor is unique.  The level of risk that you’ll be able to tolerate, the amount of gain that you are willing to pursue and the different combinations of investments that you can manage, depend greatly on the type of investor you are. 

 

The more you get to understand the type of investor that you are, the easier it will be and for you to choose the right investment for yourself. 

 

What Is Your Age? 

 

It is generally agreed that a young investor is likely to recover from a huge loss than an older investor.  This means that, a younger investor will be better able to tolerate fluctuations in investment, much better than an older one. 

 

On the other hand, someone who is older, say someone who is over 50 years of age, should be more conservative when it comes to approaching investments.  He should not take investments that are too risky.  This is because it is more unlikely for him to recover from a loss than a younger investor. 

 

How And Where Did You Get Your Wealth?

 

The other thing that will determine the type of investor that you are is the place where you got your wealth and how you got it.  Someone who got his wealth through land speculation, selling off risky assets, and engaging in stock exchange trading at an early age is a person would be willing to tolerate risk.  On the other hand someone who got his wealth through conservative spending and put in a lot of his wealth in savings, is not going to tolerate risk very easily.  Such a person will tend to be conservative when it comes to choosing investments. 

 

Your Attitude Towards Wealth

 

If you feel that your wealth is too small and that you cannot afford to lose it, then you’re going to be a very conservative investor.  On the other hand, if you believe that you can lose part of your wealth and still live comfortably, then you are likely to be a risky investor. 

 

It is important that you consider the kind of investor you are because it is not a simple decision.  This is not the decision of going to a supermarket and picking the best brand of crisps; not at all. It is about making a decision that will determine your quality of life.

 

This post is brought to you by www.iMoney.my- Malaysia's first free, independent comparison portal for financial products, providing calculators and comparison of credit cards, home loans, personal loans and investments.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

10 things to give up to be a doctor

a very good article for students and parents as well!!!

10 things to give up to be a doctor

 

BY
Following a recent article elsewhere which generated an interesting discussion, I started thinking about the things one must give up on the road to becoming a doctor. It’s a long road, beginning with an initial decision, some early voluntary experiences, an application to university and some hard work trying to achieve the barely possible at GCSE and AS / A2.

But it doesn’t even end there. The hard work really only begins at medical school where long hours and repeated exams are considered normal and where you need your patients more than they need you.

There are plenty of things you have to give up along the way, here are my top 10:

1. Your desire to be wealthy

Very few people in medicine ever become hugely wealthy, at least not in Europe. If riches are what you desire there are many many easier ways of getting that involve alot less heartache, money and stress. If you want to be a millionnaire before you’re 30, my advice would be to avoid university altogether. Most doctors are in the profession for genuinely altruistic reasons as well as the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have the skills and knowledge to save lives and apply these every single day as a routine part of your work.

2. Your desire to change the world

Equally you must, eventually, give up on the idea of becoming some sort of medical superhero who can solve the worlds medical problems one by one. Yes doctors can do some impressive things when applying their skills to the right situation. But remember that however good your intentions, you will not be able to overcome the problems caused by poverty, war, government neglect or abuse, or coorporate profiteering at the expense of the sick. That doesn’t mean you can’t try to help people afflicted by any of these, you’ll just find that you are usually too small to make any real systemic difference.

3. Your free weekends

It starts at medical school when the work starts to pile up, and weekends are sacrificed to meet deadlines and for exam revision. Once you start working as a junior doctor, you’ll find yourself scanning each new doctors rota to work out where your on-call weekends have landed and who can swop with you so that you can still go on that holiday or get married or whatever. There will be sunny weekends when your non-medic friends will be having a barbecue whilst you sweat it out on a ward seeing yet another gastrointestinal bleed wondering why you chose this path.

4. A good nights sleep

Gone are the days where doctors would be on call for 48 or 72 hours and then do a clinic for the boss before retiring to bed. However, modern working arrangements have brought into existence the ‘week of nights’ where you work 4 or 5 and sometimes 7 night shifts in a row.
As someone who has done these I can confirm that doing nights is pretty inhumane. The talk amongst doctors doing nights together often centres around changing specialty or leaving the profession. Don’t worry, it all gets forgotten once normal daytime duties are restored.


5. Your desire to avoid feeling like a fool

You will make mistakes from time to time in this job and your mistakes will all be potentially serious ones, simply because everything you do affe
cts your patients’ lives directly.

Furthermore, there will be times when you have to withstand an onslaught from senior doctors who feel that teaching by humiliation is the only way forward. You will feel like an idiot at times and if the thought of that frightens you you should promptly pick a different profession.

6. Your desire to always put friends and family first

As a doctor your job usually takes priority and you simply cannot shirk your responsibilities simply because you have prior engagements of a personal nature. Over the years I’ve known many difficult situations including a colleague who had to turn down a role as best man for a close friend because nobody could swop his on-call weekend with him and the hospital refused to organise a locum to cover him.

Apart from sickness or bereavement, your first priority will be to your profession. Your friends and family may find that difficult to understand at first. They’ll come round to it with time, especially once they delete your number.

7. Your desire to please everyone.

Whether it’s your friends or family, as above, or your future patients you’d better get used to upsetting people from time to time. Telling your wife you need to postpone an evening engagement because you are still operating on a difficult case, or telling a patient you won’t be operating on them as they only have three months to live, are both likely to be met with upset. Each situation has it’s unique challenges and needs some communication skills, but the bottom line is that you will have times when you will have to make someone want to either hit you or cry in despair.

8. Your creativity

Not many people admit this but medicine takes people who are often very creative and turns them into workaholic, automatons who have little room left in their lives for creativity. If you want evidence for this, go to any dinner party that includes more than one doctor. Chief discussion topic will be work and medicine.That’s partly because anecdotes from doctoring are entertaining, but also because if the medics stray from this conversation topic, they will rapidly expose their banality and limited insights in other areas particularly all things creative.

Much of medicine does not allow much creativity in it’s day to day practice and the intensity of the work beats any desire for creative thinking right out of you before you even realise it’s happening.* Of course whilst accepting this fact you must fight this tendency and attempt to keep up your other interests, otherwise, I can guarantee medicine will invade everything you do.

*There are a few notable exceptions to this!

9. Your desire to stay in one place / live close to friends and family.

Want to do something competitive, like medicine? You have to realise that choosing your location is a luxury and you may have to follow your dream in a less than ideal location. Even after you graduate, having your heart set on one speciality is a sure way to geographical instability. Some people don’t mind this, but some with strong family ties or a mortgage, the need to move frequently is a pain.

I began to come to terms with this when I found that even the most obscure places have hospitals. Working in these places you’re just as likely to meet doctors who have also had to move from here from the other side of the country. It’s a great way to meet people but easy to lose touch once you move on.

10. Good health

You may not know it, but you’re joining a profession that has high rates of physical and mental illness as well as drug and alcohol misuse. Doctors are also less likely to seek help than other professions which all adds to a rather worrying picture.

Although ill health isn’t guaranteed in a medical profession you should realise the future risk now and take steps to formulate good lifestyle habits to minimise your risk factors. A good network of non-medical friends should also protect you from neglecting your own needs while you’re treating your patients.

That’s plenty to sacrifice just for a job isn’t it? However, I guess the reason you’re in medicine (or trying to get in) is that you’ve realised that medicine is not just a job, it’s a whole way of life, that’s difficult to let go of once you’ve decided to enter it, and these sacrifices are simply part of the deal.


Well, those are the 10 points I thought were worth including. If you have more I’d love to hear about them.

Leo

Friday, August 2, 2013

How to manage your cash

How to manage your cash
http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2013/06/17/Managing-cash-the-KASH-way.aspx

Cash is king, so they say. True. But how do we make cash king? What are the simple fundamentals when it comes to dealing with cash? KASH WONG offers a simple way to teach us using the K.A.S.H. acronym.

K-nowledge: Know where and when our money is coming from and going out to. It’s a task that’s simple enough but not many do it.
If you don’t practise it, start now. Carry a pen and a notepad with you at all times or better still, type it straight into your smartphone for each expenditure you incur and/or income acquired.
Keep your financial records up to date. This is especially useful for those who would like to start saving.

A-ttitude: If you are a parent, educate your child about the value of money. Nowadays, there are seminars and financial education classes for young children and even adults. Learn about making smarter choices when it comes to dealing with monetary issues. Having the right attitude towards the value of money would definitely make you and your child more financially literate.

S-kills: Money needs our attention and to do this, we need to acquire a set of money skills to guide us in managing our own portfolio, generating multiple income streams, being more rational than emotional when investing, and learning to recognise opportunities as well as investment scams. Most of all, we develop skills to create, protect and preserve our wealth which leads us to last part of K.A.S.H.

H-abits: Once we start ourselves on this course of action, we will form a set of healthy financial habits that will give us the clarity and understanding on money matters. Good habits such as these, in the long run, would allow us to save and generate a positive cash position. This will enable us to own a more diversified investment portfolio, including alternative investment vehicles which can enhance our net worth, thus allowing this cycle to continue on indefinitely

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

A Guide To Home Loan Refinancing -- from iMoney



For those who have never been exposed to the concept of “refinancing”, home loan refinancing may seem like a baffling notion. After all, what good could possibly come from getting a new home loan… just to pay off your old one? Wouldn’t you just go back to square one after the whole process? These could be some of the questions you’re asking yourselves, and understandably so.
In reality, home loan refinancing is a widely-adopted practice with many potential benefits. Homebuyers far and wide undertake it in order to lower the interest they’re paying on their home loans, reduce their monthly loan repayment amounts, and generally alter their loan terms to better suit their financial needs. In fact, some even refinance to free up cash riding on the inherent values of their properties!
To calculate you home loan refinancing possibilities, click here and use the iMoney’s refinancing calculator.
In this infographic, allow iMoney to help you understand what home loan refinancing is, what the benefits are, and how you could use it to better your personal financial situation as a homebuyer.
Lee Ching Wei, CEO of iMoney.my
About Author
Ching is the CEO and co-founder of iMoney, a leading price comparison website in Malaysia. Prior to iMoney, he was an investment consultant, advising clients ranging from $5 million to $500 million on investment related matters. He is also a CFA & CAIA Charterholder, two prestigious professional qualifications in the finance field.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Chan raises stake in Tropicana

Chan raises stake in Tropicana



 

 




KUALA LUMPUR: Puan Sri Chan Shao Tsiu has emerged as a substantial shareholder in Tropicana Corp Bhd, a company formed and managed by her husband Tan Sri Tan Chee Seng.

Chan, via Aliran Firasat Sdn Bhd, now owns around 13 per cent of Tropicana, a property developer, which is said to be working on a very big corporate exercise. 


15 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADNotice of Interest Sub. S-hldr (29A) - Puan Sri Datin Chan Shao Tsiu
215 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADNotice of Interest Sub. S-hldr (29A) - D & I CORPORATION SDN BHD
315 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADNotice of Interest Sub. S-hldr (29A) - ALIRAN FIRASAT SDN BHD
415 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADChanges in Sub. S-hldr's Int. (29B) - TAN SRI DATO' TAN CHEE SING
515 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADChanges in Director's Interest (S135) - TAN SRI DATO' TAN CHEE SING
612 Jul 2013TROPICANA CORPORATION BERHADTROP





Wednesday, July 3, 2013

MPHB CHANGE THE NAME TO MORE FAMOUS MAGNUM

MPHB-CHANGE OF NAME FROM MULTI-PURPOSE HOLDINGS BERHAD TO MAGNUM BERHAD

MULTI-PURPOSE HOLDINGS BERHAD


LISTING'S CIRCULAR NO. L/Q : 68245 OF 2013

Kindly be advised that the aforesaid Company has changed its name to "MAGNUM BERHAD". As such, the Company’s shares will be traded and quoted under the new name with effect from 9.00 a.m., Wednesday, 3 July 2013.

The Stock Short Name will be changed as follows:-


Type of Shares
    Old Stock Short Name
New Stock Short Name
Ordinary Shares
MPHB
MAGNUM

However, the Stock Number remains unchanged.


Announcement Info

http://www.mphb.com.my/
 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Health Advisory For Workplaces During Haze

Show News

TitleHealth Advisory For Workplaces During Haze
Published at25-06-2013
CategoryAnnouncement
DescriptionHealth Advisory For Workplaces During Haze

Ministry Of Health, Malaysia: Health Advisory For Workplaces During Haze

Introduction
Haze is a situation where there is pollution to the air by suspended particulate matter. The various determinants of air pollution are, Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Carbon Monoxide and PM10. The fine particulate matter or PM10 (particulate of size 10 micron and below) is the main concern as it may lead to adverse health conditions.
Haze is caused when sunlight encounters tiny pollution particles in the air. Some light is absorbed by particles while other light is scattered away before it reaches an observer. The more the pollutants, the more the absorption and scattering of light, which reduces the clarity and color of what we see. Air quality is determined by the Air Pollutant Index which is measured by the Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, stipulates that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure the safety, health and welfare of the employee. The employer is thus responsible to ensure that preventive measures are taken for employees who are performing their tasks during the haze.

Health Effects of Haze
Exposure to haze may cause a variety of adverse health effects. The small particles that cause haze are composed of microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems. When inhaled, they can enter the bloodstream and get absorbed by underlying tissue, potentially interacting with other compounds and substances in the body, for example ‘bad’ cholesterol, to produce damaging effects such as inflammation.

Short-term adverse effects of exposure to haze:
• Eye irritation, watering eyes, and/or conjunctivitis (a type of eye inflammation)
• Running nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, and/or post-nasal drip
• Throat irritation, dry throat, sore throat and/or coughing, phlegm
• Headache, dizziness, fatigue and/or stress
• Decreased lung function, depressed respiratory immune defenses, chest tightness,
chest pain, shortness of breath, bronchitis (lung inflammation)

These symptoms are usually mild and will subside if exposure to haze is limited by staying indoors. However, in susceptible individuals (e.g. diabetics, elderly) and those suffering from chronic disease, especially respiratory and heart disease (e.g. coronary artery disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), their condition may be worsened by haze and are more likely to experience more severe haze-related effects than healthy people.

Long-term effects of exposure to haze
A large number of particles in a haze are below 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Therefore these ultra small particles stay in the air longer and are easily carried over long distances, increasing their chances of being inhaled by animals and humans.

The long-term risks associated with exposure to fine particles:
• Faster rate of thickening of the arteries compared to others, promoting the
development of vascular diseases.
• Increases the risk of death by cardiovascular disease and reduces life expectancy by
several months to a few years
• May contribute to the development of diabetes
• Spontaneous abortion, under-weight infants, birth defects and infant death.


Measures to be taken by the workplace

General Measures at the Workplace

  • Minimize outdoor activities.
Identify outdoor work that may be reduced. Ensure the use of respirator for those with prolonged exposure. Those suffering from chronic illnesses, especially heart and respiratory diseases, should remain indoors.
  • Close all windows, doors and any openings that may allow haze to enter the workplace.
Turn on the air conditioner if available. Ensure adequate ventilation in the closed room.
  • Ensure maintenance of the air conditioner with regular cleaning and servicing.
Fine particles can enter an air-conditioned building through the fresh air intake and by infiltration through openings and gaps.
  • Use an air purifier to keep the particulate levels low.
An air purifier or air cleaning devices may be used to reduce the amount of air contaminants that may be circulating in the building.
  • Provide health education regarding Haze to the employees

  • Provide respirators for employees who have to work outdoors

Ensure there is sufficient supply of respirators for employees who have to work outdoors

  • Conduct Fit Testing
Fit testing should be conducted for employees who need to use respirators

  • Reassignment of job tasks
Susceptible employees should be reassigned to indoor tasks until the level of pollution is healthy

General Measures for the Workers

  • Inform the management if you are suffering from any heart or respiratory diseases

  • Take your medication regularly if suffering from an existing disease, especially heart disease and respiratory diseases.

  • Drink more water and increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
This helps the body to flush out toxins absorbed through the skin and lungs, and improve the immune system.
  • Cut down on alcohol and coffee
These promote fluid and nutrient loss from the body.
  • Avoid smoking
  • Wear a respirator when you go outside

Personal Protection
A respirator is a protective device worn covering the nose and mouth and is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles. The respirator filters small airborne particle which cause haze. The N95 respirator may be used to prevent exposure to the haze. (Refer Usage of Personal Protection During Haze at www.moh.gov.my)

Guidelines on Action to be Taken at The Workplace

Air Pollutant Index (API) ReadingHealth Effect DescriptionAction to be taken at the workplace
0-50Good
  • Prepare for any future possibility of air pollution
51-100Moderate
  • Identify outdoor activities that need to be minimized
  • Health Education to the employees
  • Ensure stock of N95 masks
  • Perform fit testing for employees who work outdoors
101-200Unhealthy
  • Initiate use of N95 respirators by employees working outdoors
  • Reassign susceptible employees with difficulties working outdoors to indoor jobs.
  • Minimize strenuous outdoor tasks
201-300Very Unhealthy
  • Reassign all susceptible employees to indoor jobs.
  • Avoid strenuous outdoor tasks
  • Temporarily stop earthworks and earth movements tasks
301-400Hazardous
  • Assess visibility for work processes
  • Ensure use of headlights while driving
  • Ensure all persons working outdoor are using N95 respirators
400-500Hazardous
  • Avoid outdoor work
>500Hazardous
  • All government and private sector offices and workplaces to be closed pending declaration of Disaster Emergency by the National Committee on Disaster Management except essential services

Friday, June 14, 2013

12 Ways To Save Money In Malaysia - from iMoney


"12 Ways To Save Money In Malaysia"! It's written and published by iMoney

It covers tips on topics like:


  • Learn about high-yielding bank accounts & fixed deposits you never knew existed.
  • Discover ways to leverage on the one financial instrument that has no business saving you money – your credit card.
  • Read about ways you can manoeuvre your loans to help you pay less over the long run.
  • Find out how you can bump yourself down a tax bracket LEGALLY using relief and rebates.
  • And many more

  • TIP#1:

Open & Maintain High-Yield Banking Accounts
 


A savings or current account is now just a mechanism to STORE your money instead of one that can help you GENERATE MORE money from your savings because of their negligible interest rates.
Well, it doesn’t necessary need to be this way. Because in Malaysia, there are savings or
current accounts that do generate substantial interests from your deposits, which include (i)
high-yielding accounts applicable to Priority Banking customers; and (ii) savings accounts
with “forced saving” mechanisms that generate interest as high as 2% p.a..
So if you’re still holding a normal savings or current account that generates non-existential
interests, consider alternatives. You can easily do so by looking up iMoney’s

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

MPHB Capital extended its IPO's closing date to 18.6.2013

I only received the Offer Acceptance Form (“OAF”) yesterday(11.6.2013)(though I have send my application with payment on 10.6.2013 by downloading the form from the BURSA website), thus it has to extend for me( haha!)
 
We refer to the announcement on the Timetable for Initial Public Offering dated 29 May 2013.



On behalf of MPHB Capital, we wish to announce that the closing date and/or time for acceptance, application and payment (including Excess Application) of the Offer Shares under the IPO has been extended to 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 18 June 2013 to facilitate an extended period of time for shareholders/renouncee(s) to accept and pay for the Offer Shares and to apply and pay for the Excess Offer Shares (if any) after taking into consideration the feedback of the shareholders/renouncee(s).



The revised timetable for the IPO is as follows:



Closing of application
18 June 2013
Balloting of applications
Not applicable
Allotment of IPO shares to successful applicants
Not applicable*
Tentative listing date
28 June 2013
Remarks
* The date of the transfer of the Offer Shares to successful applicants is on 27 June 2013.



Save for the above, all other details, terms and conditions of the IPO remain unchanged.






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