SIHATKAH EKONOMI KITA?

NEW ZEALAND dan Singapura berada di dalam kegawatan ekonomi. Sebentar tadi Chrysler Amerika Syarikat, syarikat automotif besar di Amerika Syarikat, mengumumkan potongan gaji 25 peratus keatas 18,500 pekerjanya disebabkan kegawatan ekonomi. Chrysler juga bercadang menyingkirkan 5,000 pekerja dalam masa terdekat ini selepas kerugian setengah tahun sebanyak RM4.5 billion. Syarikat automotif terbesar Amerika Syarikat, GM, turut dirundung masalah kewangan. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5if6HTCFwXC90erym0sBymE9FhfaAD94159T06

Apakah ekonomi Malaysia akan menghadapai masalah yang sama? Pelbagai kenyataan dikeluarkan oleh ahli-ahli politik seolah-olah ekonomi Malaysia begitu kukuh dan tidak akan menghadapi apa-apa masalah semata-mata untuk memastikan rakyat tidak panik dan gelisah dengan keadaan ekonomi.

Tetapi fakta-fakta dan analisa ekonomi tidak menjurus kearah itu. Ikutilah laporan-laporan berikut:

* Malaysia's economy will be hit hard if the United States, a top importer of electronics and electrical products for the Southeast Asian country, sinks into a severe downturn. For every 1 percent cut in U.S. GDP, Malaysia's GDP will be reduced by 0.7 percent, Citigroup said in a research note published on Wednesday. http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/10/15/afx5560862.html

* KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian stocks succumbed to further selling pressure as the threat of a global recession gains an upper hand in dictating market sentiments. It is no secret that the financial liquidity crisis in the US and Europe is now spreading across the globe, fuelling anticipations of more national casualties. http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_2c92479d-cb73c03a-3bc1a100-59838e77

* The meltdown in Asian stock prices on Friday stemmed in part from the growing realization that the heavy reliance on exports that has driven Asia's powerful growth is now turning into the its worst enemy. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122486927561967131.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

* Bursa Malaysia Bhd’s net profit for its third quarter ended Sept 30 slumped 64% to RM20.2mil, or 3.8 sen per share, as the global credit crunch and domestic uncertainties impacted trading revenue from the equity market. Revenue for the period fell almost 40% to RM73.6mil against RM122.3mil in the previous corresponding period, it said in a stock exchange filing yesterday. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/25/business/2371356&sec=business

* Palm oil for November ended RM11 lower at RM1,579 a tonne on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange, a 19-month low compared with the peak of RM4,226 a tonne on March 3, 2008. The benchmark January delivery fell RM15 to RM1,550 a tonne. http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_2d2abac6-cb73c03a-3bc1a100-9523c99b

Adalah lebih baik sekiranya kerajaan berterus terang dengan rakyat.