The Malaysia-Thailand border is the new baby and PM Anwar is not shy about it
China, both tourists and businesses, are flocking to Malaysia for better opportunities. Thailand is going full Las Vegas. Instabilities are spouting all over the world, including, the United Kingdom where some Malaysians have called it their second kampung.
IN Malaysia
The Malaysia-Thailand border is getting a facelift, thanks to PM Anwar (Madani fans please wave)
During PM Anwar Ibrahim’s working visit at Rantau Panjang and Sg Golok with his counterpart Thai PM Srettha Thavisin, PM Anwar doubled down on his commitment to expedite the peace process in Southern Thailand. However, PM Anwar stated that the issues in Southern Thailand, specifically near the Kelantan side of Thailand (Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani) are still a domestic issue of Thailand and Malaysia is just a mere facilitator. Nonetheless, former National Security Council director-general Mohd Rabin Basir was appointed as the new chief facilitator of the Malaysian government for the Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue Process effective July 1. Malaysia is well known for becoming a referee in international conflicts as Putrajaya previously successfully facilitated the peace agreement in Southern Philippines between the Manila Government and the rebels in Mindanao in 2014.
Apart from that, the Thailand-Malaysia border is also getting a second bridge at Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang. According to PM Anwar, the bridge will be completed in late 2026. After the second bridge is completed, then both Bangkok and Putrajaya will proceed to upgrade the first bridge which was built in 1971. Do you know what other thing happened in 1971? The New Economic Policy (NEP) coined by the late Tun Abdul Razak was launched. The landmark socioeconomic program was created in response to the deadly 1969 race riot.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/721581
China is implementing its ‘Dasar Pandang ke Malaysia’
Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing announced that the number of visitors from China for the first five months of 2024 has increased by 194% compared to the same period last year. Tiong attributed this huge wave of incoming Chinese tourists to the implementation of visa-free travel arrangements between both countries and the increased number of direct flights from selected China cities to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu.
Despite Tencent Holdings having decided to sunset WeChat Pay Malaysia, however, the use of its mainland Chinese e-wallet Weixin Pay in Malaysia remains unaffected. Tencent has pivoted its strategy in Southeast Asia to focus on catering the Chinese tourists travelling outside of China. According to the official statement by WeChat Pay Malaysia, the company will focus on ‘Renminbi-denominated cross-border payments’ in the country.
TEven the newly released UOB Business Outlook Study 2024 revealed that Malaysia is the top-choice destination to do business for the next three years. According to UOB Malaysia CEO Ng Wei Wei, overseas businesses are looking to dip into the Malaysian market due to the country’s strong economic fundamentals and attractiveness as a regional business hub. The upcycle of the global semiconductor industry is also boosting this optimism towards Malaysia. So, the world is looking at Malaysia now. So, for Malaysians, apa nikmat yang kamu dustakan lagi?
Around the S.E.A.
Thailand is going ala Las Vegas to boost tourism
Thailand is looking to legalise casinos with an initial license of 30 years, in its effort to boost the domestic tourism industry and to funnel in foreign investment and taxes. According to IBIS World, the global casino industry generated about USD263 bil in revenue last year, whereas Bangkok is looking to snatch USD12 bil from the pot by housing casinos within large entertainment complexes. Thai officials have previously mentioned popular tourist destinations such as Greater Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chonburi, home to beach resort Pattaya, as possible locations for the entertainment complexes.
Source: https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/721602
Definite no-no to these locations, at least until the end of the year
- West Asia – Bangladesh long-time PM Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country, allegedly to India, due to the deadly riots that were triggered by demands to scrap the controversial quota system in government jobs. Currently, an interim government led by Army Chief General Waker-Us-Zaman has been formed.
- United Kingdom – Newly minted British PM Keir Starmer has issued a warning to violent protestors that target Muslim communities that they will face the full definition of the law. The anti-immigration, anti-Muslim riots were initiated when three girls in Southport town were stabbed to death. Due to the misinformation online, some groups have allegedly pinned the death of the girls towards a 17-year-old radical Islamist. The misinformation was so severe that it had led to a nasty domino effect which turned some parts of Britain into scenes from The Purge movies.
- Middle East – After Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on Iranian soil, Iran and its allies are ready to put everything on the table against Israel. Iran via its proxy Hezbollah had fired dozens of rockets towards the northern Israeli settlement of Beit Hillel. However, most of the rockets were intercepted and no injuries were reported.
For your EYES only
It has been a bloody couple of days for the global stock markets and Malaysia is not excluded. Stocks tumbled with fears about a possible recession and a surging Japanese yen sending volatility spiking to levels not seen since 2020. Even, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sold USD75.5 bil worth of stock on a net basis and it slashed its largest position, which is Apple, by almost 50%. Berkshire now sits on a massive cash pile of USD276.9 bil.
Sakit mata pagi ni. Apa ntah lagi hati 💔 pic.twitter.com/PlHYYvVz0r
— Ikhwan Financial Planner (@IkhwanPK2022) August 5, 2024
