Najib's New Cabinet Line-Up

Today has been proven to be equally exciting as the 3B by-elections! The highlight of the day was none other than Najib announcing his cabinet line-up at 3:00 p.m.

It was truly an excitement for all the political watchers. In fact it became the topic of the day for most of us.

My rough count told me that the most asked question about the new cabinet was: Would KJ be in the line-up?

After Najib released the name list, I received the breaking news from KL through mobile phone, informing me that KJ was out!

KJ seemed to be in the limelight for the whole of the day.

Photos: Malaysiakini

A Debt-Ridden Recession Worldwide

目录：经济趋势探讨
由债务引发的金融海啸
729期
许道敏（京城大酒店营业部经理）
字体大小: 默认设置 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
美国这一波大衰退，不但害己，也害了全球。经济学家把这一次的大灾难形容为1930年经济大萧条以来最严重的一次，在层次上可算是“第二次经济大萧条”。
从2008年开始的全球大崩溃，归根究底，祸首是美国的天文数字债务。美国房市暴升制造了空前的内债。当房市泡沫爆破时，美国债务泡沫也就被戳破。
造成美国史无前例的内债高筑是半个世纪以来最宽松的货币政策所引发的。这或许具有争论性的地方，但美国的经济学家早在三年前就开始对克林斯潘及联储局的超低利息政策提出批判，认为这将危害美国多过帮助这个全球最大的经济体。当时经济学家就提出警告，以降息来托高成长是延长经济灾难的发生，长远来讲对美国并无多大帮助。
克林斯潘的货币政策所引起的争论，不是没有经济学的基础。当时半信半疑的市场人士，今天都看到了由低息所高筑的债务泡沫，经爆发后所带来的全球灾难痛苦。
以美国来讲，克林斯潘当时代表了中央银行，而布斯则是决策者，有其政治利益须考量。中央银行关注的是稳定的通膨率，以货币政策为工具来调适通货膨胀以达致持续性的成长。而政府因背负政治利益，故经济成长是其首要议程。经济成长与稳定通膨两难其美，故中央银行与政府在政策上起冲突是在所难免的。连小国如大马都有这种政府干预中央银行的决策，更何况大国如美国！
其实政府与中央银行在立场上有冲突，皆因两者所制定的目标不一样。前者几乎是以不惜代价来达致经济成长，而后者则是以长远稳定的通膨率为首要任务为依归。
克林斯潘的货币政策优与劣，有待学术界的评估，绝对不是一篇短文可以道尽，但我们今天都深受这政策的祸害。
在我们还未把矛头指向美国联储局前，让我们先看1930年代苏联一位经济学家KONDRATIEV的研究结论。这位共产体制下的经济学家认为资本主义的经济体永远逃不出周期性的循环走势，由蓬勃到崩溃，再由谷底到高峰，一波接一波，永无止息。
或者我们今天就是被卡在周期性中的崩溃环结。

I have been contributing regularly to The Chinese Methodist Message on current affairs and economic trends worldwide since January 2001.

It is a wonderful service to share on issues of great concern to us. Some may call them too worldly to talk about in a church magazine, but truly they are of global interest which we have to live with.

Lately it came to my mind to start another blog to share the past articles published in The Chinese Methodist Message. I am contemplating to supplement the articles with comments in English or Mandarin.

I hope the above idea would come to fruition.

Batang Ai By-Election - Malcom Mussen Emerged Winner

Malcom Mussen of PRS emerged the winner in Batang Ai by-election. A hotly contested seat, Batang Ai was widely viewed as a testing ground for PR in its ambitious political agenda to build extensive inroads into Sarawak.

A greenhorn or fledgling as you may call him, Malcom Mussen beat Jawah Gerang of PKR, a veteran, flat with a surprising majority of 1,854 votes.

Both BN and PR need some quiet time to plan for the upcoming state election.

Photo: Steve Ling

Visitors' Guide To Sibu & Central Sarawak

A few years ago, Sarawak Tourism Board came out with this visitors' guide with a view to spur the central region to tourism growth. The effort was laudable and the publication of this handy booklet filled up partly the information vacuum in this region of Sarawak.

Humble as it may look, Visitors' Guide is pretty informative and up to date. Visitors who are on tour in the central region would find the guidebook of great help. Even locals may find this publication a helpful source of information.

This guide was last updated in 2006. I hope a new edition incorporating some latest changes and developments would be forthcoming.

SJK (C) Ung Nang - A Heart-Warming Dinner

It was a sumptuous dinner hosted by Mr. Wong Sieh Hie, the in-coming Chairman of SJK (C) Ung Nang's Board of Management. Mr. Wong threw the dinner generously after our first board meeting.

The dinner was a wonderful occasion for the board members and the teaching staff to get together. It was a good platform for some interaction which was conducive to mutual understanding.

SJK (C) Ung Nang is my mother school I feel a strong emotional connection with it.

We posed for a group photo before we started off the first course. Seating on the third from right is Mr. Wong Sieh Hie. Standing on the first from right is Mr. Wong Su Seng, the school's principal.

SJK (C) Ung Nang

Batang Ai By-Election - Bloggers At The Forefront

The whole Batang Ai is like a pot of boiling curry - it is sizzling hot and all minds are curious to get the latest updates of the drumbeat there, hoping to stay tuned in to the changing circumstances.

In short, Batang Ai is a hot spot now!

Besides a contingent of reporters from the local media groups, some committed bloggers are at the forefront to give first-hand news of the hotly contested seat.

Steve, Philip and the broken shield are the notable ones with their feet set on Batang Ai to give their readers a feel of the election fever.

Give them a big thumb up for a job well done!

The photo shows an interview session with DSAI by a freelance foreign journalist. In the middle is YB Dominique Ng. (Photo: Steve Ling)

A Warm Meet Of Old Buddies

It was an exhilarating meet for Rev. Ting Lieng Tung and Mr. Tie King Hieng. They have been buddies since their school days in Sibu. King Hieng told he still cherishes the old days when they blahed over a plate of kampua.

Rev. Ting presently resides in Canada. He is now in Sibu for a sojourn, meeting up some old friends and recollecting the fading footprints.

Months before Rev. Ting flew back, he called me up to make arrangement for hotel accommodation. It was wonderful to be able to render hospitality to the faithful pastor.

Mr. Tie King Hieng was a senior teacher teaching Additional Maths. during my school days at Chung Cheng Secondary School. His missus Mdm. Ting Siew Chai taught me for one year in Geography and English when I was in Form Two. Both are respectable in the field of education.

We grabbed hold of the opportunity to pose for a group photo. L to R: Mr. Tie King Hieng, Mdm. Ting Siew Chai, Mrs Ting, Rev. Ting Lieng Tung, me.