- Bandar Malaysia will not be up so soon
- Ukraine is isolated from its own peace talks
- Lumber is the next item to be tariff-ed by Trump
IN Malaysia
Bandar Malaysia will not be developed so soon
PM Anwar Ibrahim stated that even after Petronas subsidiary KLCC (Holdings) Sdn Bhd (KLCCH) has already acquired 486 acres of land at the site of where Bandar Malaysia should be, the development of the new township will not be so fast. PM Anwar estimated it would take about 50 years to complete the development of the RM140 bil Bandar Malaysia project in order to maintain commercial viability. Nonetheless, the development of the project will focus on inclusivity with the provision of 10,000 units of affordable homes with open spaces and parks, as well as the preservation of 50 acres of Malay reserve land.
JPJ announced a bonanza recall
The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has announced a mega recall of vehicles affecting 41,688 vehicles across five passenger car brands – Honda, Kia, Ford, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Almost 88% of the recalled vehicles are the ‘logo H’ cars, particularly their CIVIC and CR-V type models. This JPJ recall for the Honda models is for abnormal sounds and roughness when turning the steering wheel, according to the department’s statement. The issues hampering the Honda brand have been known for years but it still does not affect the consumers’ sentiment toward the brand. For 2024, Honda sold more cars compared to 2023, to be exact 81,699 vehicles were sold by the brand in 2024, a 2.1% increase compared to the previous year. There was even a study conducted by a few researchers from universities in Malaysia and India, that concludes the main factors why Honda is so revered is due to the brand image (exudes a mirage of exclusivity and higher class) and high quality of services by Honda. Majulah Pemilik Honda Untuk Menarik Gadis Yang Lebih Bermutu.
Around the S.E.A.
Who would have thought that finally, someone kick Ukraine down from its pedestal
US President Donald Trump has launched a multi-prong attack towards Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. First, the US opened the line of communications with Russia, merely weeks after Trump returned to the White House for the second time. Trump-led administration even held talks with its Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to find a way how to end the war in Ukraine without Ukraine being a part of the talk. Second, Trump has publicly called Zelensky a ‘dictator’, stating that the Ukraine leader is entering the sixth year of his five-year term, as he was elected in 2019. No elections were held in Ukraine since the country imposed martial law after Russia invaded the country.
While Ukraine is in a state of disbelief, in a separate statement, President Trump suggested that a trade deal with China is possible, even after slapping a universal additional customs duties of 10% on all products imported from China, in early February. Trump is playing uno-reverses at random instances. Betul lah what people say, if you cannot defeat your enemy, confuse them.
The trade chaos and opportunities created by Trump
- President Trump hinted that cars, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and lumber will be the new items that will kene the tariff ‘infection’. For lumber, Trump is thinking of imposing a 25% tariff on lumber and forest products, effective April 2. At the moment, US ally Canada is the largest importer of lumber into Uncle Sam’s backyard, with USD16.66 bil worth of lumber imported stateside in 2022. Malaysia is also a major importer of lumber into the US, where USD446 mil of lumber has been sold to the US in 2022, the tenth largest lumber importer to the US.
- The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam expected that US manufacturers that have shops in Vietnam would have to lay off almost two-thirds of their headcount if the US decided to proceed in imposing tariffs on Vietnam. Vietnam has profited in recent years from big investments by manufacturers that transferred operations from China after Trump imposed tariffs on Beijing in 2018 during his first term. Multiple analysts have said Vietnam may become a target of new duties due to its huge trade surplus with the US, the fourth biggest among US partners.
- While all is gloom, the Malaysian glove industry may capture some wins as the intensifying US-China trade war enables Malaysian glove manufacturers to regain margin and market share lost to their Chinese counterparts in the last few years. In the past, Malaysian glove players collectively captured an estimated 70% share of the glove market in the US. But when Chinese players aggressively entered the US market post-COVID-19, Malaysia’s market share was reduced to about 40% to 50%. Additionally, after adding all the tariffs, the average selling price of Chinese gloves is USD25.60 per carton compared to Malaysian gloves which are priced at USD21 per carton.
For your EYES only
Microsoft has created a new state of matter – not solid, liquid or gas, that will leapfrog the development of quantum computers.
More and more breakthroughs with quantum computing … https://t.co/rF4Hl9EQm0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 19, 2025
