Inter-Research And Studies (IRAS)

Malaysia has faced its steepest inflation rate hike in 20 months, mainly caused by the fuel subsidy cut in September which increased pump price by 20 sen per litre, Maybank Investment Bank (IB) has said. The research house also predicted that inflation rate will likely accelerate next year compared to 2013, as a result of the recent sugar subsidy cut announced in Budget 2014 last week. In its daily report released here yesterday, Maybank IB said that inflation in September 2013 was up by 2.6 per cent year-on-year, its highest so far this year. It also said that “transport” was the main factor in the hike as it went up 4.6 per cent year-on-year, after the pump price of RON95 petrol and diesel went up in September 3, and RON97 petrol two days later. As a result, it expected that inflation rate will pick up from 2 per cent this year to between 3 and 3.5 per cent next year. “The forecasts reflect the combined impact of the 14 per cent hike in cigarette prices on 1 Oct 2013, the...

By Soong Phui Jee We used to say in the past that working in bank is a secure job but nowadays, working in government sectors is even better. During an exclusive interview with the Sin Chew Daily, Public Services Department pensions division director Datuk Yeow Chin Kiong had disclosed many unknown stories and data, including civil servants are receiving a lifelong support from taxpayers, they enjoy many subsidies and are not taxed, their spouses will continue to enjoy pensions if they pass away and a total of RM65.5 billion has been distributed to 600,000 retired civil servants over the past 10 years as wang ehsan and pensions. After the country has paid so much to the 1.29 million civil servants to eliminate their worries, have the public be rewarded? Undeniably, the government has been committed to enhancing the productivity and efficiency in public services since the administration of Tun Abdullah Badawi. For example, the establishment of the Special Task Force to Facilitate Busine...