Robberies, Business Security and Safety

Turning your backs?

I always advocated this:

If you want to attract foreign investment,there must be two pre-conditions.

Firstly, there must be law and order.

Secondly, there must be legal remedy if a wrong is done.

I fear we are coming short on both counts.

Politics aside, I think the fear factor has ratcheted up many times over the years.

Public perception of the police has taken an all time low especially  with the high rate of robberies, snatch thieves and lately even rapes of civilians at police stations.

As usual, the political football was panned out and PR exercises were offered with statistics ponied up that crime rate has gone down....way-way down.

Do we feel relieved?

Why Me, Worry?

No, wonder why?

Are we fooling ourselves or just attempting to protect the tourism trade?

I had a drink with a friend yesterday. He had to close his business down because his factories were hit time and again by the same group of robbers until no insurance companies wanted to cover his factories. He has appealed to all parties-from political parties, to the police and even the local taikohs for action but to no avail. If you trade in  businesses that utlises aluminum and copper, expect to be robbed dry!

As for the law, they do not seem to be effective!

Rose Byrne-Dramatic Flair and Beauty

Looker from Australia

If you follow the legal drama; Damages, you will see the beauty and dramatic flair of the petite and beautiful Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons.

Hepburn Allure

Season after season she grew under the wings of Pattie Hewes and finally in the penultimate Season 5, she upped ended Glenn Close's persona's ever angry ever scheming top-notch legal mind manifested in power above all.

While there are many collateral damage for both protagonist and antagonist, the series is riveting at best.

Those Eyes!

Great series!

Mysterious siren

As for Rose Byrne, she is just alluring in both beauty and speech as Ellen Parsons!

Damages: Wicked, Crackling Dialogue, Intriguing Plots

Wickedly Plotty

This is one riveting series if you like investigative plot lines amidst witty dialogue.

Riding on the American legal system of pleading and negotiation, this tv  series is explosive and can be violent with its unnecessary deaths laced with corruption in high places including the police force.

So, what is new?

While the series was great up to the third season, it seems to have run out of steam beginning the fourth season. I am not sure whether this hiatus will reflect that the series has plateau off in terms of suspense and plot-lines but I hope they can resume in its  great plot lines to sustain audience interest.

Sly and can outdo Patty

To me, Glen Close as Patty Hewes  is one tough cookie though contrived at best. As for Rose Byrne as Ellen, this waif-like beauty is adorable. She looks so much like Audrey Hepburn in the way she turns her head but she certainly ooze more sex appeal.

Will write some more after I finish off both the fourth and fifth seasons.

For now, it has been a great time watching Damages.

Zeti Plays with her Numbers

Number Announcer

They all speak officialese.

They may be skillful manipulators of statistics and reshaping into potential short term policies.

Above all, they provide the data for industry to plan.

They say that statistics can be made to lie. Then there are those that will always pepper it with conditionalities like 'ifs' so that they can get away scot-free when their projections go awry.

So, now that Zeti has come out with her take on the 3rd quarter of 2012 and her overall scenario, what say you?

This is what Zeti said:

• There is a likelihood of the economy surpassing the 4-5 % government fore-cast for 2012.
• The Malaysian economy expanded by 5.2% in the 3rd Q of 2012.
• All first 3Qs were good

Based on the above  forecast and results, Zeti has guesstimated a 5% or even better growth rate for Malaysia in 2012.

Zeti also reiterated that the economy was expected to grow at a similar rate in the 4Q.

The economy grew by 5. 6 per cent in the second quarter and by 4. 7 per cent in the first quarter

Growth in the second quarter was revised upwards from 5 4 per cent to 5 6 per cent due to new data.

The Malaysian economy was affected by weaker external demand which led to a 50. 5 per cent decline in net exports of goods

and services but the drop was partially offset by sustained growth in domestic demand

Domestic demand continued to drive the country’s economic growth with private sector demand growing 11. 6 per cent in the 3Q and public sector demand expanding 10. 9 per cent.

“We are not insulated from external uncertainties but the anchor to the economy is domestic demand ” said Zeti.

 Private consumption grew by a slower pace of 0 8 per cent in the third quarter as compared with 2 8 per cent the previous

quarter helped by government aid policies such as the RM500 handouts to low-income households bonuses and readjusted pensions to civil servants.

Inflation meanwhile moderated to 1. 4 per cent in the third quarter from 1. 7 per cent in the second quarter

Zeti's caution:

“However we can’t rule out upside risks to inflation ” Zeti said .Net financing grew by 12 8 per cent while loan growth increased 11 9 per cent.

 Zeti said based on stress testing Malaysian banks remain well capitalised and the risk of de-leveraging by European banks to Malaysia remained low.

“Stress tests affirm the resilience of financial institutions under severe contraction and extreme volatility and under the worst case scenario capitalisation of Malaysian banks remain satisfactory. ” she said.

 Zeti said that while external sector weakness will affect overall growth factors underpinning domestic demand are expected to remain firm.

She said that private consumption will be supported by stable employment conditions, income growth and cash transfers while investment activity will be led by business spending in domestic oriented sectors, infrastructure projects and the oil and gas sector.

BSKL-Topsy Turvy and Clueless

BSKL is Topsy-Turvy

You just cannot discuss the BSKL rationally these days.

May be it is not meant to be.

As the penny stocks lost steam a couple of trading days back, the giants are being brought down systematically today.

Starting with the felling of the telecommunications counters, the disease has spread even to retail. Amway got hurt bad and they also shot down Sime Darby today.

On the other hand, some parties are pumping up Astro while the pension funds are still selling down TM, Digi and YTL Corp.

The market appears to lack directions.

It is marginally lower each day, decimated by sporadic selling on the blue chips and the penny stocks seems to be doing better today such as THH Engineering with some some headway traction to appear green on the board.

Directionless and clueless

Let us see how next week will fare as world markets are also getting clueless.

YTL Corp Versus the Pension Fund Dumpsters

An Overbite from EPF?

It appears that way.

I think YTL Corp shares are continuously being sold down by state pension funds for reasons best known to themselves. BSKL records shows that EPF is the party.

As for YTL Corp, I think they will use the Treasury buy-in to  prevent the price of the counter from being further eroded with such persistent selling down by these funds.

Fighting Back

It may be tough but with a huge war chest of RM 14 billion, Francis can do the trick to ensure the YTL counters can withstand the onslaught of these selling parties.

For those intending to hop in on YTL Corp, this could be a good entry point.

However, do it cautiously because I do not expect this counter to be a road runner in the short term.

As it is now, the YTL Corp shares are trading down below RM 1.70.

A classic Alien versus Predator combat is on.

Both are survivors.

Taken Still Hits the Mark

A Hot Number

After watching Taken 2, I walked down memory lane to review the original Taken movie.

Though this movie has a better premise on the trafficking of young girls for prostitution by Albanians, it may lack the gut crunching, bone cracking and neck-breaking suspense and action of the sequel.

Swifter moves from Neeson

Here you see a more active and physique Liam Neeson, a younger Maggie Grace and a less lethargic Famke Janssen.

Aging Galore

Though not directed by Luc Beeson, it still has enough captive power to wow audience.

Even to this day.

A Younger Kim Played by Maggie Grace

Great to see Taken again.