OSK: Energy sector boom on the horizon

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111230232140/Article/

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's power sector is expected to sizzle particularly in the second half of next year and 2013 with 4,500 megawatt (MW) of newly installed capacity under way, an investment bank said. OSK Investment Bank also expects Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to benefit after the general elections as it could get the nod for new tariff hike. OSK noted with the new 4,500MW of new capacity coming on stream by 2016, it may be boom years again for the power engineering business. The replacement of the first generation power purchase agreements (PPAs) with new power deals should be positive in the long-term for both the independent power producers (IPPs) and TNB, although the impact would only be felt in 2016, it added. In its research report to investors, the investment bank said some 4,105MW of first generation capacity will be expiring between 2015 and 2017. Of this, at least 4,105MW of capacity needs replacing. Even with the 1,000MW expansion of Janamanjung and the 1,000MW expansion of Tanjung Bin, this still leaves Malaysia 2,105MW short, not to mention the expected growth in electricity demand. "With Bakun power in no way heading for Peninsular Malaysia, it would appear we are on the cusp of a power plant building frenzy. "This is reminiscent of 1993 when the first generation of PPAs were first awarded and it was contracts aplenty for power engineers in Malaysia. "We expect some of the new PPA licences to be awarded by mid-2012 to allow for plant completion in 2016," said OSK, which has tagged a "neutral" on TNB. Although the utility firm's long-term outlook is positive, OSK noted that over the short-term, the gas shortage issue will continue to nag TNB next year with eratic supply and gas price hike likely to be postponed. This would lead to a cut in the group's earnings forecast in the short-term.

More changes brewing at MAS?

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111230232609/Article/

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yesterday announced major changes to top management personnel for the new year amid talk of domestic probes being carried out on key personnel of the national carrier. Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo) managing director Shahari Sulaiman, MAS head of commercial strategy Datuk Dr Amin Khan, Malaysia Aerospace Engineering's (MAE) chief executive officer (CEO) Mohd Roslan Ismail and revenue management head Datin Sharifah Salwa Syed Kamaruddin are all leaving. No reason was given for their departure. Early this month, Business Times reported that MASkargo's Shahari was on leave of absence amid a domestic inquiry on him. The national carrier had then neither confirmed nor denied the report, saying that Shahari was on leave. It is understood, however, that his services had in fact been terminated early this month. It is unclear if Amin, Mohd Roslan and Sharifah's departure was also the result of domestic inquiries. In a statement issued last evening, MAS glossed over the departure of these key members of the previous management, announcing replacements for two of the vacated positions. The carrier announced two appointments namely Hugh Dunleavy as head of network, alliance, strategy and planning, and Shihaj Kutty to lead revenue management. Dunleavy has more than 30 years experience in the aviation industry in particular in the area of strategy and planning, revenue/yield management and airline alliances among others. His employers included Canada's WestJet Airlines and Lufthansa Systems. Shihaj, with 15 years of experience in the industry, joins MAS from Etihad Airways where he was head of pricing. Replacements for other positions vacated were not announced. The new management structure will see customer experience, operations, human capital, and network, alliance, strategy and planning reporting directly to group CEO Ahmad Jauhari, who also takes charge of long-haul operations. Mohammed Rashdan, in his capacity as deputy group CEO and CEO of short-haul, will lead the operations of short-haul, group finance, aircraft finance and management, and in the interim, helm commercial. Ahmad Jauhari said the organisation structure signals a new era for MAS group that will further build pride of its employees and confidence for its customers and stakeholders. It also involves the setting up of several new business units and the re-naming of existing functions as well as the introduction of new leaders to take over from familiar faces, who have decided to pursue other career opportunities.

Gold production surpassed for Guyana

2011 gold production surpassed target - Minister Persaud

Written by Kwesi Isles  
Thursday, 29 December 2011 21:34

Guyana has surpassed its 2011 gold production target recording some 350,000 ounces declared in a year that has seen record prices offered for the precious metal, according to information from newly-minted Natural Resources Minister Robert Persaud.

He made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday at his ministry in the Office of the President.
"Gold production yesterday (Wednesday) was 350,000 ounces, surpassing the target by a significant amount, 30,000 ounces, and that is declared and not necessarily production,” Persaud noted.

He added that there is a sizable amount of production not being declared with even the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) expressing concern.

Gold declaration recorded for 2010 was pegged at 308,438 ounces, a 2.9 percent increase on the previous year’s figure.

Gold peaked at US$1,920 per ounce in September and has since fallen to below $1,700 but along with the explosion in prices has come rampant criminality in the interior mining districts. According to Persaud, it is a concern to both the government and the industry.

“Gold attracts the good and bad because the criminal elements know that there’re gold mining activities and there’s a high incentive for them perhaps to go raid camps and even to intercept persons. Unfortunately we’ve seen the loss of lives in this regard,” he said.

The minister noted that prior to him assuming the Natural Resources portfolio the Prime Minister, the Home Affairs Minister, the GGDMA, the police and the army were meeting to hammer out a coordinated security approach.

“We intend to continue that and even to look at some innovative ways, getting the miners themselves involved too in terms of security because if you look at the reach of our security forces and you look where mining is taking place, it’s sometimes far away from police locations, police outposts depending on the areas where we mine.

We will also have to talk to the Guyana Police Force to perhaps looking at establishing temporary even permanent outposts in this regard,” Persaud stated.

He added that the policing of these areas will have to be reorganized.

“The Chairman of the GGMC, former chief of staff Joe Singh himself is taking the lead at the board level but also in engaging stakeholders in this regard,” the minister said.  
    
The Guyana Police Force for its part has commented on the growing level of criminality in the hinterland areas and responding to concerns from the GGDMA recently stated that it has been sending teams into the interior to support those ranks already on the ground.

According to the force, it has also been doing roving air, terrestrial and riverain patrols. Additionally, it noted that several miners have been granted permission to have guards established with Supernumerary status and also individual firearm licences.

Source

Of cource, while reading this, gold price is actually climbing back?

Gold nears 6-month low on euro zone fears, stocks rise

By REUTERS
Published: Dec 30, 2011 00:11 Updated: Dec 30, 2011 00:11

NEW YORK: Gold prices fell on Thursday to their lowest level in nearly six months as tight liquidity in the euro zone forced investors to sell the metal, but strong US economic data prompted a stock rally on Wall Street.

The euro initially slid to a 15-month low against the US dollar after a key Italian debt auction failed

to ease concerns about the euro-zone debt crisis. It erased losses later — trading flat at $1.2936 — as market sentiment improved and the S&P 500 made it back into positive territory for the year.

World stocks also rose. The MSCI All-Country World index gained 0.56 percent, although it remained down

more than 10 percent in 2011.

But gold prices fell more than 1 percent on the day as many investors, facing tight capital market conditions due to the euro-zone crisis, had to raise money to meet their financial obligations. They also fell more than 20 percent from a September high, entering bear market territory.

Concerns about Italy continued to weigh on global markets after its latest debt auction, leaving banks unwilling to lend despite massive capital injections by the European Central Bank.

On Thursday, Italy sold about 7 billion euros in bonds, below its target of 8.5 billion euros. Yields on the 10-year

paper fell from a recent high, but remained just under 7 percent — a level seen as unsustainable in the long run.

"There's a real worry now that the first quarter could be crunch time in the euro crisis just because of the sheer volume of debt that needs to be rolled over by euro-zone countries," said Standard Chartered strategist David Mann. Italy has a debt burden of around 120 percent of GDP, and about 150 billion euros in debt coming due between February and April.

Despite gains in stocks, US government debt prices turned higher in thin trade, with investors worried about the European crisis. Benchmark 10-year Treasuries rose 7/32 in price, sending its yield down to 1.8971 percent.

US stocks rose after falling more than 1 percent on the previous day, buoyed by data showing pending sales of existing US homes surged to a 1-1/2-year high in November. Another index showed factory activity in the US. Midwest grew more than expected in December. And a third report said that, even as initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, the US labor market still seems to be recovering, with the more stable four-week moving average for jobless claims falling to its lowest level since June 2008.

"In general, the data has been coming in better than expected," said Steve Goldman, principal of Goldman Management in Short Hills, New Jersey. But "the data is still having hdifficulty propelling stock prices, given the overshadowing  concerns (about) Europe," he added.

Despite Thursday's gains, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index remained only 0.17 percent higher for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 104.75 points, or 0.86 percent, at 12,256.16, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 9.72 points, or 0.78 percent, to 1,259.36.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 18.03 points, or 0.70 percent, at 2,608.01.

In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares extended gains after the release of US data. The index climbed 0.96 percent to close at 992.78.

Spot gold prices fell 0.34 percent to $1,546.80, after hitting a nearly six-month low of $1,521.94. US crude

oil traded at $99.40 per barrel, near Wednesday's settlement price, in a very choppy session.

Currently happening:

Yesterday afternoon was the time of the downtrend, currently and since midnight, the reverse shoulder head shoulder pattern formed and made the current uptrend until now...

Make Your PC Safe for 2012

New malware is still being introduced at an alarming rate: Alone in the last five years it has been rising by about 5,000 %. Such growth rates may be any shareholder's dream at the moment but here they are evidence of the immense profitability of the hacker industry. Your personal data, online connections or even access to your PC make the cash registers ring. This makes developing increasingly sophisticated and less easily detected ways to infect your PC more and more lucrative for clever programmers. But there is no need to panic, as we are going to show you in this article how to avoid unnecessary risks and how to keep on surfing the web with your PC safely in 2012!

1 - Keep Your System up-to-date

We all know that update notifications can be annoying. Still, your PC and all installed programs should always be up-to-date. Malware programmers often use newly discovered software weaknesses (so-called "vulnerabilities") to smuggle their malware onto your PC via exploits. Therefore, update your software on a regular basis - especially if it is widely used - in order to close potential security gaps as soon as possible.

The following software on your PC should always be kept up-to-date:

OS (Windows operating system)
Your browser: MS Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Adobe Flash Player
Java Runtime
Apple Quicktime Video Player
Your media player (VLC, iTunes, Windows Media Player)

2 - Use Secure Passwords

Your PC may be as secure as a safe, but that is useless if an unauthorized person gets their hands on the keys. No matter whether it is your Windows login, web mail or password to a website: use only secure passwords! A secure password consists of at least eight characters and contains a number, an uppercase letter and a special character, such as "ApL47bAk!". Avoid common words like names and use different passwords for all your accounts and connections. If you use one password for all, a hacker gains access to all your data by just cracking one password successfully. To keep track of several passwords, we recommend using a password manager.

3 - Use a Router

It is common nowadays for internet connection packages to include a router. A router enables several devices to simultaneously use the same internet connection. Securitywise, this is a huge advantage as your PC does not directly connect to the web, which makes it difficult to directly address and attack it. If, for whatever reason, you still do not have a router, you should consider it a good investment. The same rules apply here: always keep the router up-to-date, that is, regular firmware updates and a secure admin password are a necessity.

4 - Avoid File Sharing Websites

Apart from the fact that they are mostly offering illegal content, file sharing websites are among the most common sources for malware infections. Cracked programs or so-called key generators ("keygens") in particular are often infected with malware. It is safer to download original software from the manufacturer's website or from well-known download sites.

5 - Use Restricted User Accounts

Many Windows users are using the administrator account. As an administrator, you have unrestricted access to modifying important system settings, which allows malware executed as an administrator to settle and spread with ease. If you have Windows XP you should use an account with restricted user rights for working and browsing the web. Windows Vista and 7 come with a built-in and redesigned User Account Control (UAC). Any process likely to cause damage to or be a threat to the security of your system needs the administrator's permission to do so. Never grant administrator rights to any unknown or suspicious programs!

6 - Avoid Doubtful Websites and E-mail Attachments

Today, most malware is spread via so-called "drive-by downloads". Modern websites are using different technologies to enable the continuous communication between your browser and the web server without asking you, the user, for confirmation. Programmers of criminal websites rely on this technology to take advantage of security gaps in various browsers. We recommend staying away from any doubtful or shady websites (file sharing, warez and erotic websites in particular) and to keep your browser up-to-date as described in point 1.

E-mail attachments are still the most popular way of spreading malware. What helps best is a good spam filter. Always remain skeptic if you receive e-mails from unknown senders and pay particular attention to any attachments before opening them; executable files like .exe or .com are often disguised as documents or images. For more information on this topic and fake e-mails please refer to our article Current E-mail traps.

7 - Beware of Unsecured WiFi Hotspots

There are many WiFi hotspots free of charge available that allow you to check your e-mails and surf the internet when you are on the go using your laptop or smartphone. But whenever you log into a website or check your e-mails via an unsecured WiFi connection, others can read your log-in data. Send confidential data only if it is absolutely necessary, and even then only over a secure connection! You recognize a secure connection by the "s" which directly follows the typical "http" in the address bar, i.e. "https://" (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). This applies to online banking as well as forums, webmail accounts, ebay or Facebook log-ins - i.e. it applies generally for any log-in. If you use an e-mail client, you should also enable secure log-in in the settings.

8 - Use Security Software With Real-Time Protection

By following our advice you are already quite safe - but there will always be a small risk remaining. This is why we recommend the use of anti-virus software and a firewall. The anti-virus software checks files on your PC whereas a firewall monitors any incoming and outgoing connections. If there are any suspicious processes, a message will pop up to warn you about the risk.

Both programs should offer real-time protection. Regular scans with a virus scanner are good and important. However, they can only detect already existing infections with malware on your PC and may not always be able to remove them. Emsisoft behavior analysis, for instance, is always active and works similar to your body's immune system: suspicious intruders will be recognized even if there are no antibodies (= virus signatures) yet.

Source

Burger Mania at Pullman Kuching

Burger Mania anyone?

source: http://www.sarawakian.net/2011/09/13/burger-mania-at-pullman-kuching/

Outsmart Windows spyware on your PC. Speed up your computer, protect your privacy, take control of your personal data!

Spyware is big business for criminals and less ethical organizations on the internet today. If you want to make sure your computers working for you and not spying on you, this guide is the place to start.

What is spyware?

Spyware is software that is designed to watch events on your computer and report this information back via the internet. Data on the web sites you visit, for example, is extremely valuable to marketing and market research companies. Information on the media you watch or listen to can be used by sites to build a profile of what kind of consumer you are and then used for targeted advertising. More sinister Windows spyware may even try and capture passwords, files or PIN numbers as you enter them.

Is LastFM spyware? No, since it is quite clear about what data it collects. Spyware does not ask for your permission or tell you when it is gathering data.

At this point, it is worth reminding you that not all Windows spyware is necessarily bad. At Top-Windows-Tutorials.com we are big fans of LastFM, which logs what music you listen to and makes recommendations on new music based on the data it collects. The Alexa Toolbar is a popular toolbar that, amongst other useful features, uses data it collects on your surfing habits to bring back better search results for you. Both of these freely available pieces of software are considered by some people to be spyware. Unless you are concerned about keeping the data they collect confidential, there is no reason why you should not use them.

Having said that, your computer belongs to you and you only and you should decide who gets your data and who does not.

Malicious spyware, such as programs which collect private data like passwords or PIN numbers, should be removed or, better still, blocked from entering your system at all times.

Benign 'spyware' such as Alexa should only be running on your PC with your permission.

Still curious about the different types of Windows spyware? check out the wikipedia article on Windows spyware.

Why is Windows spyware such a big problem?

A long, boring EULA is the last thing most users want to read when they are eager to try out some new software

Remember the last time you installed some new software on your computer? Was it a great free application you downloaded from the web, or perhaps an application package you purchased from a store? Either way, it is extremely likely that when you installed it at some point it presented you with a 4 or 5 page long "end user licence agreement" or "EULA". These are typically extremely wordy, legal documents designed partly to cover the authors or distributors against anyone who uses the software incorrectly and then tries to sue. Now, did you actually read all of the EULA when you installed the software? If you answered No then don't worry, neither did I!

Now, remember we said before that spyware should only be collecting data on you with your permission? This isn't just a courtesy, if an application collects data on you without your permission then it is probably illegal. However, in that wordy, boring EULA, sly marketing companies added clauses that allowed them to install all sorts of Windows spyware along with otherwise useful or harmless looking free applications. Aside from violating your privacy, these sneaky applications can slow your computer or internet connection down, as they beaver away collecting your information. One of these applications you might not even notice, but if you surf around and try out lots of software, they can quickly build up until your system becomes slow or even unstable.

Outsmarting Windows spyware

To keep one step ahead of spyware, you don't need to start reading EULA's or even stop downloading free software. A few sensible precautions are all that is needed to keep your PC spyware free. Following the guidelines for keeping your system virus free that we set out in our computer viruses article will also help you in the fight against Windows spyware, but here are a few more pointers to keep your PC running spyware free.

If in doubt, Google it! If you are thinking of trying out some free software and you have not heard of the company behind it before, do a little research first. Usually all it takes is a quick look on Google to find out about any software on the net.

One search-bar is enough. If you like the facilities offered by a search bar or browser tool bar, then choose one from one of the reputable providers such as Yahoo! MSN, Google or Alexa. Resist the temptation to use every free search bar or desktop widget available on the web. Even if these programs are harmless, running software you do not use will simply slow your computer down. Do not let your PC wind up looking like the picture below!


Ensure your firewall is enabled. Use a software firewall such as the Windows firewall, Outpost, or Zone Alarm. A hardware firewall such as those that routers or broadband sharing hardware often incorporate will almost always offer no protection whatsoever against Windows spyware running itself on your PC. With a software firewall installed, programs must be given permission to connect to the internet. This is ideal for spotting potential spyware applications as they no longer can send information outside of your computer without your permission. If you want to learn more about firewalls, check out our firewall and internet security software section.

Beware of malicious ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls are extensions that work with Microsoft Internet Explorer. ActiveX controls can do all sorts of wonderful things such as play video or display PDF documents and are used by companies such as Adobe and Microsoft to extend Internet Explorers functionality. Unfortunately, ActiveX controls can also be used as a means of installing spyware or even computer viruses. Because of this you should NEVER install an ActiveX control from a site you do not explicitly trust. If you are concerned about accidentally installing an ActiveX control, consider using Firefox or Opera web browsers instead and always keep your browser up to date!

Scan your computer occasionally using one of our recommended packages. Even if you take all of the above precautions, it can't hurt to scan your PC from time to time. We'll take a look at three of the best packages now.

Spyware doctor comes highly reccomended by the Top-Windows-Tutorials.com team!
Lavasoft Ad-Aware - A firm favourite amongst the Top-Windows-Tutorials staff, Ad-Aware has been cleaning spyware for the better part of a decade and has remained a trusted and powerful spyware cleaning solution throughout its long life. Extremely easy to use and better still, free for non commercial use, there really isn't much you can say against this superb little package. Paid versions even include real-time spyware monitoring (that means it watches out for spyware in the background while you work, rather than just when you run a scan) and full technical support.

Spybot Search & Destroy - A very powerful, feature rich and effective spyware scanner that amazingly is totally free. Spybot's advanced features are much praised by computer experts and system administrators. However, its more technical interface can be intimidating to novice users when compared with Ad-Aware. Many users install both Ad-Aware and Spybot, especially when scanning systems that are already infected with spyware in order to scan for the broadest range of malicious software.

PC Tools Spyware Doctor - This relatively new addition to the Windows anti-spyware software lineup is turning heads in the industry with its excellent spyware detection and removal rates. What's more, you can now try the starter edition free, thanks to the Google pack. Click the link above for more details!

Webroot Spy Sweeper - A very powerful and easy to use package that includes a spyware scanner, a real time monitor, full technical support and a whole host of powerful features. This package is not free however, it costs around £25 or $40.

Source: http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/windows-spyware.html

Asia Risks Policy Mistakes to Boost Growth

By Shamim Adam - Dec 29, 2011 12:10 PM GMT+0800

Read More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-29/asia-risks-policy-mistakes-in-efforts-to-boost-slowing-growth-economy.html

Commuters ride the metro subway train in Beijing, China. China is the world's second largest economy. Photographer: Nelson Ching/Bloomberg

Asian policy makers eager to sustain growth in 2012 may put their economies at risk with interest- rate cuts or fiscal stimulus that some can ill-afford.

The likelihood of “policy mistakes” in 2012 may increase as a slowing global expansion puts pressure on officials to lower borrowing costs even as inflation remains elevated in some economies, said Lim Su Sian, a Singapore-based strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc. In India, where the central bank has paused raising rates, monthly inflation has held above 9 percent; prices in China exceeded the government’s full-year target of 4 percent every month this year.

Asian nations from Thailand to Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced interest rates or left them unchanged in recent meetings to shield their economies from the protracted European debt crisis. Fitch Ratings raised its forecasts for price gains for the region for this year and next even as it lowered growth estimates, and said while many Asian economies have scope for policy responses, China and India are “exceptions.”
“There will be central banks that feel they have to cut but whether or not they can is an entirely different issue,” said Lim. “For some of these countries, they are going to feel a little challenged because on the one hand, growth is clearly slowing but on the other hand, inflation is still not yet coming off. That creates the potential for policy mistakes.”

Highlighting the risks from Europe’s debt crisis, South Korea’s industrial production unexpectedly fell in November for a second straight month. Output dropped 0.4 percent compared with October when it declined a revised 0.6 percent, Statistics Korea said today. The Bank of Korea refrained from raising interest rates for a sixth month in December to support growth.

Inflation Risks

Inflation risks eroding the purchasing power of consumers when Asian economies are depending on domestic demand to boost growth as exports weaken. The volume of global trade will increase 5.8 percent in 2012 compared with 7.5 percent this year, the International Monetary Fund said in September, damping the outlook for a region estimated by the World Trade Organization to have exported $4.69 trillion of goods in 2010.

Asian stocks dropped for a third day after a surge in the European Central Bank’s balance sheet underscored financial stresses in the euro zone.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index (MXAP) fell 0.7 percent to 111.96 as of 10:28 a.m. in Tokyo with all but one of the gauge’s 10 industry groups falling. For the month, the index is heading for a 1.2 percent decline. The measure has dropped 19 percent this year, the most since 2008.

Europe Concerns

In Europe today, reports may show retail sales in Spain fell last month, Sweden’s trade surplus narrowed in November from a month ago and Italian business confidence weakened this month, according to Bloomberg surveys of economists. Germany’s consumer price index may have gained 0.8 percent in December from a month earlier, according to the median forecast of 26 economists surveyed.
In the U.S., first-time claims for unemployment benefits may have totaled 375,000 in the week ended Dec. 24, compared with an initially reported gain of 364,000 a week earlier, a survey of economists showed ahead of a Labor Department data on recipients of government jobless benefits.
Business activity in the U.S. may have expanded at a slower pace, according to figures to be released today by the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago Inc. For a view of the housing industry, a National Association of Realtors report may show pending home sales rose 1.5 percent in November from a month earlier, a slowdown from a 10.4 percent rise a month earlier.

Growth Estimates

Emerging East Asian economies may grow 7.2 percent next year after expanding 7.5 percent in 2011, the Asian Development Bank says. Fitch raised its 2011 inflation estimate for Emerging Asia by 0.3 percentage points to 5.9 percent and its 2012 price forecast to 4.9 percent from 4.7 percent.
Indonesia cut borrowing costs by 0.75 of a percentage point in October and November to a record low even as its economy grew more than 6 percent for a fourth straight quarter. India held off tightening in December after raising interest rates by a record pace.
China’s central bank cut the amount of cash that lenders must set aside as reserves for the first time since 2008 this month after inflation eased to the slowest in 14 months in November. China should be prepared for a possible inflation rebound next year, Xinhua News Agency said this month, citing Yang Weimin, vice chairman of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs.

Weakening Currencies

Most Asian policy makers have allowed their currencies to depreciate this year to defend exports. The Indian rupee has lost about 16 percent, followed by the Thai baht and the Taiwanese dollar. Sri Lanka devalued its currency in November.

With the Indonesian central bank’s defense of its currency unsustainable, the country’s assets will be “vulnerable,” RBS says, recommending investors buy five-year credit default swaps at 225 basis points. Bank Indonesia plans to boost “intervention” to support the rupiah, Governor Darmin Nasution said on Nov. 30 after the currency touched a 17-month low of 9,240 a day earlier.
“Currencies have weakened so imported price pressures are still building,” said Rahul Bajoria, a regional economist at Barclays Plc in Singapore. “Officials will remain a bit more vigilant on inflation because inflation expectations are still elevated” especially Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, where labor markets are tight.

Stimulus Spending

Asian policy makers spent about $1 trillion in stimulus measures during the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 to stave off deep recessions or sharp slowdowns in their economies. Malaysia and the Philippines have unveiled stimulus measures for their economies, and others may follow in an attempt to spur consumption as overseas demand slows.

“The growth bias is starting to creep in and there will probably be a more proactive use of fiscal policy in 2012 than monetary policy because the pass-through is faster,” Bajoria said.
Still, India may have less room to deploy fiscal stimulus, while any such steps in China won’t be as large as the 4 trillion-yuan package introduced in 2008, Bajoria said. India’s “fiscal stress” may deteriorate on widening subsidies and slowing taxes, the central bank said Dec. 22.
China’s banking system is still working through the consequences of the credit-led stimulus of 2009 and 2010 and “may struggle to repeat the effort,” according to Fitch.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shamim Adam in Singapore at sadam2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net

Personal view: Buy gold. Strenghten your currency with gold or better yet, use Dinar (islamic gold currency) as currency.

Box-Pak shares soar on talk of privatisation

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111229010952/Article/

Kian Joo would pay RM3.20 a share for the remaining shares it does not own in its profitable corrugated carton boxes manufacturing unit, they said. Meanwhile, Box-Pak shares were the second top gainer on Bursa Malaysia yesterday. The stock soared 37 sen to close at RM2.47 with 2.81 million shares traded. At RM2.47, its market capitalisation stood at RM148.26 million. Year-to-date, Box-Pak has gained 107.56 per cent or RM1.28, with a low of RM1.09 on March 16 this year. Kian Joo Can owns 32.91 million shares, or a 54.83 per cent stake, in Box-Pak. Another single largest shareholder is Amanah Saham Bumiputera Bhd with 3.1 million shares or a 5.16 per cent stake. The sources said Kian Joo Can had hired Maybank Investment Bank Bhd to handle the privatisation deal. Kian Joo Can executive director Datuk Anthony See Teow Guan, when contacted yesterday, denied that it was planning such privatisation. "No, there's no truth in it. I don't know who spread the rumours," said See, who is also managing director of Box-Pak. Besides corrugated carton boxes, Box-Pak also manufactures and sells die-cut trays, wrap-around cartons, Point of Purchase (POP) and paper palette for use in the packaging industry. The company was incorporated in December 1974 and listed on the local bourse on July 18 1996. Box-Pak nearly doubled its net profit in the first nine months ended September 30 2011 to RM10.35 million, from RM5.79 million net profit a year ago. The company attributed the improved profit to higher revenue and better production efficiency. Group revenue rose to RM178.39 million during the period, up from RM134.73 million previously.

Gold loses 2 pct as dollar surges

CHICAGO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX Division of the New York Mercantile Exchange extended its losing streak into a fifth session on Wednesday, as lack of confidence in Europe pushed investors into the safety of the U.S. dollar, rather than gold. Silver and platinum both slumped.

The most active gold contract for February delivery dropped 31. 4 dollars, or 2 percent, to 1,564.1 dollars per ounce.

The dollar index, which tracks the U.S. dollar's performance against six major currencies, climbed to 80.471 from 79.792 late Tuesday, as many investors are concerned with Thursday's Italian debt auction and the fragility of the European Union's debt crisis in general.

A trader said gold prices were getting hammered on Wednesday, settling at the lowest level for a most active gold contract since mid-July, as a stronger dollar curbed demand for the metal as an alternative asset.

Meanwhile, gold prices were also battered, as year-end sellers tried to take profit from still-profitable precious metal before the end of the year.

"It has become apparent with the low volume that many precious metals traders have packed it in until the first of the year. With light volume and high volatility the reaction to economic data will be generally more overdone as it was today," said Mike Daly, a gold specialist with PFGbest here in Chicago.

Silver for March delivery lost 1.506 dollars, or 5.2 percent, to 27.234 dollars per ounce. Platinum for January delivery plunged 46.2 dollars, or 3.2 percent, to 1,387.7 dollars per ounce.

Editor: yan

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2011-12/29/c_131332241.htm

Personal thoughts: The current price is nearing the linear line of the old 2008 uptrend. (see below)

Malaysia retail sales likely to grow 6.5pc this year

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111229010604/Article/

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's retail industry is expected to grow 6.5 per cent this year, from last year's 8.4 per cent growth. The Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA), in its latest report, also anticipates the industry to grow 6.0 per cent next year. For the fourth quarter this year, retailers in the country expect their sales to increase by 10.4 per cent, with specialty retail stores anticipated to record biggest sales growth at 15.9 per cent. This is followed by fashion and fashion accessories at 14.9 per cent, department store-cumsupermarkets at 9.4 per cent and department stores at modest 3.7 per cent. The specialty stores include retailers selling photographic equipment with photo processing services, optical products, sportswear and sporting equipment, fitness equipment, golf equipment, toys, souvenirs as well as touristrelated products. Despite the optimism of these retailers, who are MRA members, the association itself estimates the retail sales to grow 5 per cent in the last quarter this year. It said in the third quarter, the retail industry recorded a slower growth rate of 7.0 per cent in sales compared with 9.8 per cent expansion in the same period in 2010. "Based on the latest retail results, Retail Group Malaysia still maintains its retail industry growth rate at 6.5 per cent for the whole of 2011," the MRA said in its December 2011 report. The MRA said in the first nine months of this year, the industry registered a growth rate of 6.8 per cent. Similar to the first half of this year, retailers still had to absorb the rising cost of goods and offer very attractive bargains to attract shoppers, it said. While Bank Negara Malaysia is projecting an economic growth rate of between 5 and 6 per cent next year, MRA is anticipating the retail industry to moderate to 6 per cent. The MRA said the unresolved eurozone debt crisis, the potential US double-dip recession and the recent decline in China export market will affect the country's economy in 2012. "When the export-oriented manufacturing sector slows down due to low external demand, it will affect local employment market. Some Malaysians may be out of jobs next year, many will not get salary increments and graduates will not be able to find jobs. All these will affect retail spending," it said. Concerns about job prospects may make consumers keep a tight hold on their purse strings and only spend during sales or value-for-money promotions.

Malaysia Gold Investment

Read more: Malaysia Gold Investment

The gold price slid $13.89, or 0.9%, to $1,594.92 per ounce Wednesday morning amid modest declines in the broader commodities complex. Silver fell $0.42, or 1.4%, to $28.85 per ounce alongside the price of gold. Equity markets in Asia and Europe were mixed, while U.S. markets looked to open slightly lower after a worse than expected Case-Shiller housing report.

With the year drawing to a close, several Wall Street firms have recently published their gold price forecasts for 2012. One of the latest to do so was Goldman Sachs, which predicted that the price of gold will peak at $1,900 per ounce and average $1,810 per ounce in the coming year. Goldman attributed its bullish gold price outlook to further net buying by central banks and strong physical demand from investors, the ongoing negative real interest rate environment in the U.S., and continued European sovereign debt and global recessionary concerns. In its report, the firm wrote that “Our economists’ central thesis is that US real rates will remain low given limited appetite to slow the fragile US recovery or hurt the all-important job growth in an election year. Inflation from non-domestic sources (e.g.

imported oil) will also lower US real rates.” While Goldman Sachs’s forecast was unequivocally bullish for the gold price, the firm did caution that the biggest risk for the yellow metal is further strength from the U.S. dollar. As has been the case in recent months, investors could continue to view gold as more of a commodity than a currency and treat it as a “risk-on” asset class. Nevertheless, Goldman asserted that the large majority of factors influencing the the yellow metal continue to point to higher prices in 2012. As for gold stocks, the firm had a considerably less positive stance. Goldman noted that gold equities have substantially underperformed the gold price since 2005 due to two key reasons. First has been competition from gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which have provided investors with an alternative way to gain exposure to precious metals. The firm pointed out that ETFs currently hold approximately 70 million ounces of gold valued at over $115 billion. In 2011, ETFs have added 230 tonnes of gold and Goldman expects this trend to continue in 2012. The second factor has been that many gold mining companies have experienced significant operational challenges in recent years. Goldman noted that for the companies it covers, gold grades have declined as much as 50% compared to 20 years ago, royalty and tax rates are considerably higher, and political risks have presented a severe headwind for the sector. Going forward, the firm contended that these factors are likely to remain in place as “capital intensity increases, cost inflation comes through and tax/royalty structures enacted by governments around the world extract more from the mining industry.”

Takeover talk stocks Proton, UMW top gainers on Bursa

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111228014752/Article/

Proton shares were the top gainer, surging 41 sen to RM4.79, while its CH and CG warrants were the most heavily traded securities on Bursa Malaysia. Proton CH edged up 13.2 sen to 44 sen on a volume of 59.67 million units, while Proton CG rose 17 sen to 49.5 sen with 59.08 million units traded. UMW, reported to be one of the suitors to buy Khazanah Nasional Bhd's 42.7 per cent stake in Proton, climbed 38 sen to close at RM6.98 as the second top gainer. Dealers said Proton shares had risen due to a possible general offerif Khazanah decided to sell its entire Proton stake and not partially. Earlier this month, proton-CG, Proton CH and Proton-CI warrants saw heavy trading, with their prices rising more than 10 times in a span of one month. They subsequently had a selldown, wiping off some 30 per cent of the gains. Proton shares started to climb higher when the national carmaker's adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said earlier this month that the stake should not be sold to a foreign shareholder. Besides UMW, DRB-HICOM Bhd, the Naza Group and Sime Darby Bhd are also believed to be interested in the stake. Meanwhile, the broader FBM KLCI market climbed 4.76 points to 1,500.91 yesterday, its best in five months. But the market is likely to remain pensive in the last remaining days of the year as fund managers and investors switch on their holiday modes.

RM950m for new trains

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111226235527/Article/

The government, through Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, is setting aside RM600 million for the supply of trains for the Ampang LRT project. It has also allocated another RM350 million to upgrade KTMB's existing fleet, the sources added. It is learnt that tenders for the supply of 20 sets of six-car electric commuter trains for the LRT project closed on December 12, attracting six bidders. They are Bombardier Transportation/Scomi Rail Bhd, Caf Spain/Tranz-i Sdn Bhd, China North Railway/EmRail Sdn Bhd, Rotem Korea/ CMC Engineering Sdn Bhd, Romania Astra/Smh Rail Sdn Bhd and China South Railway/Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co Ltd (CSR ZELC). A source told Business Times that their bids range between RM550 million and RM780 million, adding that the lowest bidder is CSR ZELC. "The trains are meant to service the existing LRT network, and the new line-up to Putra Heights. The contract is expected to be awarded by April," the source said. CSR ZELC is one of the major electric locomotive manufacturers in China and a subsidiary of China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp Ltd. The company has a RM1.9 billion contract from the government to supply 38 units of sixcar electric train coaches for KTMB. This is a government project under the National Key Results Area programme to improve public transportation in the Klang Valley. CSR ZELC has so far delivered six units. The trains are undergoing testing and commissioning at the KTMB Batu Gajah Depot in Ipoh, Perak and are expected to operate next month. For the Kelana Jaya LRT line extension project, Prasarana has awarded a RM1.2 billion contract for the supply of 22 six-car train sets to Bombardier-Hartasuma Sdn Bhd. Meanwhile, the source said the RM350 million KTMB budget is to upgrade its existing fleet in accordance with the new electric train sets. The existing trains are manually operated. The source said Prasarana is expected to call for a tender for the refurbishment exercise in the first quarter of next year.

‘Binariang to separate India’s Aircel from group’

Read more: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111226235804/Article/

Kuala Lumpur: Tycoon T. Ananda Krishnancontrolled Binariang GSM Sdn Bhd is set to decouple Indian telco unit Aircel Cellular Ltd from the group under a restructuring exercise, according to a local rating agency. RAM Ratings Services Bhd (RAM) said the decoupling is expected to be concluded by the third quarter of 2012. "The management of Binariang has intimated that it will embark on a restructuring exercise to decouple Aircel from the group, which is expected to be concluded in the next nine months," RAM said late last week. Binariang has ringgit-denominated debts of RM21 billion and US dollar-denominated debt papers of US$900 million (RM2.86 billion). Industry observers said Binariang needed to inject more money into Aircel but its huge debts mean it would be difficult to borrow unless the debt setback is addressed first. Aircel is India's fith largest cellular company with some 55 million subscribers. It had budgeted US$1.4 billion (RM4.45 billion) for its nationwide coverage expansion in June last year. Aircel reportedly planned to double its India investment to US$10 billion (RM31.8 billion) over the next four years to roll out new services and expand existing network to include wireless broadband coverage nationwide. RAM said if the restructuring exercise was not completed within the suggested timeframe, its ratings of Binariang's multi-billion ringgit sukuk will have to be reassessed. RAM Ratings has reaffirmed the "AA3/P1" and "A2" ratings of Binariang's senior sukuk and junior sukuk respectively. The outlook on the sukuk's long-term rating has been revised from stable to negative. The senior sukuk consists of Binariang's RM19 billion Islamic medium-term notes programme and RM2 billion Islamic commercial papers programme, while the junior sukuk refers to the group's US$900 million cumulative non-convertible Islamic junior sukuk. "The negative outlook reflects a decline in the group's financial profile over the last few years where Aircel, the group's 74 per cent unit, has made hefty investments to support network rollout as well as third generation and broadband wireless access spectrum acquisition costs in India," RAM Ratings said. The rating agency also said these investments had resulted in an increase in debt levels at Aircel and were not expected to generate strong earnings in the near term. "This has in turn weighed heavily on the group's consolidated balance sheet and debt protection indicators," it added. Looking ahead, RAM said the steady profit performance and cash-generating aptitude of Binariang's Malaysian operations are expected to anchor the group's cash-generating ability.

20 Orang Yahudi memeluk Islam setiap tahun.

Terjemahan Google

Akhbar (Yediot Ahronot) kajian Israel, “Itzhak Reiter,” profesor universiti, Baitulmuqaddis Pusat untuk Israel Kajian telah membuktikan bahawa 20 Yahudi memeluk Islam setiap tahun.

Beliau menjelaskan, “Ritter” bahawa semua orang-orang Yahudi, menukar dari Islam dari wanita yang mendakwa bahawa mereka memeluk agama Islam untuk berkahwin dengan lelaki Islam.
Akhbar itu menambah bahawa agama Islam dan panggilan telah mula meresapi kalangan orang-orang Yahudi, dan aktivis Islam di Israel, lelaki berjanggut adalah seperti Salafis, semakin hampir kepada orang-orang Yahudi dan menjemput mereka kepada Islam perlahan-lahan sebagai ciri-ciri Ibrani bahasa fasih.
Dan berkata, “Abu Hassan” Satu daripada pendakwah Islam di Israel: “Tugas saya ialah untuk memberitahu dunia Alhako agama mereka untuk memutuskan apa yang mereka perlu lakukan.”
Kertas, untuk mengajar Islam di kalangan orang-orang Yahudi telah dipengaruhi oleh program-program Islam disiarkan oleh saluran satelit di Timur Tengah, Eropah, forum dan laman web.
Beliau menambah, “Ritter” bahawa panggilan Islam di Israel dan dalam bahasa Ibrani adalah yang pertama bagi lebih daripada 30 tahun.
Akhbar itu menyifatkan operasi untuk menyebarkan Islam bukan penerimaan yang tinggi di antara orang-orang Yahudi, pada masa apabila undang-undang tidak jenayah yang mengajar Israel dan sokongan agama lain tempat tetapi beberapa sekatan dan undang-undang.
Akhbar itu memetik “Abu Hassan”, yang mendapat pendidikan di salah sebuah universiti Israel bahawa dia telah menemui beberapa pendakwah agama Islam di Israel tidak mencukupi, jadi dia dan rakan-rakannya menciptakan “Jawatankuasa rahmat umat Islam baru”, untuk mengarahkan panggilan, pendakwah, dan pembentukan buku Islam dalam bahasa Ibrani, seperti buku “Jalan kepada kebahagiaan “dan tuntutan orang-orang Yahudi kepada Islam.
Dan akhbar menegaskan bahawa Kementerian Kehakiman Israel tidak boleh menentukan bilangan orang-orang Yahudi yang memeluk agama Islam daripada kalangan 600 orang Yahudi menukar agama mereka setiap tahun.
Bagi pihaknya, “Imad Younis,” pengasas “Jawatankuasa rahmat umat Islam baru” bahawa majoriti agama Islam wanita Alehudhm dan kembali aset mereka ke Rusia atau Eropah Timur, dan bahawa perayaan lalu ditukar 55 Yahudi Islam, semua wanita, antaranya lima wanita dilahirkan dan turbin di Israel.
The “Jasmine” -20 tahun – Yahudi memeluk agama Islam, “umat Islam telah menyambut saya dan tidak mengalu-alukan saya dan ibu bapa saya dan berkata, saya telah menjadi seorang daripada mereka sekarang dan saya hanya suami saya dan Islam.”

كشفت صحيفة (يديعوت أحرنوت) الإسرائيلية عن دراسة أجراها “إيتزاك ريتر” أستاذ جامعي بمركز القدس للدراسات الإسرائيلية أثبتت أن 20 يهودية يعتنقن الإسلام سنويا.

واوضح “ريتر” أن جميع اليهود المتحولون من الإسلام من النساء زاعما أنهن اعتنقن الإسلام ليتزوجن برجال مسلمين.
وأضافت الصحيفة أن الدين الإسلامي والدعوة إليه بدأت تتخلل صفوف اليهود، وأن دعاة الإسلام في إسرائيل رجال مُلتحون يشبهون السلفيين، يتقربون لليهود و يدعونهم للدين الإسلامي بلطف كما تتميز لغتهم العبرية بالطلاقة.
و قال “أبو حسن” أحد الدعاة للإسلام في إسرائيل: “واجبي أن أخبر العالم بالدين الحقو لهم أن يقرروا ماذا عليهم أن يفعلوا”.
ورأت الصحيفة أن نشر الدعوة الإسلامية بين اليهود جاء متأثراً بالبرامج الإسلامية التي تبثها القنوات لفضائية في الشرق الأوسط وأوروبا ومنتديات و مواقع الإنترنت.
وأضاف “ريتر” أن الدعوة الإسلامية في إسرائيل وباللغة العبرية تُعَد السابقة الأولى من نوعها منذ أكثر من 30 عاماً.
ووصفت الصحيفة عمليات نشر الدعوة الإسلامية بعدم القبول الكبير بين اليهود، في الوقت الذي لا يجرم فيه القانون الإسرائيلي التبشير والدعوة للأديان الأخرى ولكنه يضع بعض القيود والقوانين.
ونقلت الصحيفة عن “أبو حسن” الذي تلقى تعليمه في إحدى الجامعات الإسرائيلية  أنه وجد عدد الدعاة للدين الإسلامي في إسرائيل غير كاف لذا قرر هو وزملائه إنشاء “لجنة الرحمة للمسلمين الجدد”، لمباشرة الدعوة والدعاة، وتأليف الكتيبات الإسلامية باللغة العبرية مثل كتاب “الطريق للسعادة” وفيه يدعون اليهود للإسلام.
و أشارت الصحيفة إلى أن وزارة العدل الإسرائيلية لم تستطيع تحديد عدد الذين أسلموا من اليهود من جملة 600 يهودي يغيرون دينهم سنوياً.
من جانبه أوضح “عماد يونس” مؤسس “لجنة الرحمة للمسلمين الجدد” أن غالبية من يعتنقون الدين الإسلامي من اليهودهم  نساء وترجع أصولهن لروسيا أو أوروبا الشرقية، وأنه آخر إحتفالاتهم اعتنق  55 يهوديا الإسلام جميعهم نساء، بينهن خمس سيدات ولِدن وتربين في إسرائيل.
وقالت “ياسمين” -20 عاماً- وهي يهودية اعتنقت الإسلام “لقد رحب بي المسلمون كما لم يرحب بي والداي و قالوا إني أصبحت منهم ولا أملك الآن سوى زوجي و الإسلام”.

20 tan emas tulen

Gaza – Dunia Al-Watan

Dalam kejutan yang tidak dijangka sama sekali, terdapat akhbar “Barneq” Libya telah dijumpai 20 tan emas tulen dan 80000000 € dikebumikan bawah tanah di bandar slip di selatan Libya dan dipercayai tarikh kembali kepada unsur-unsur yang dipunyai oleh Muammar Gaddafi, dan disembunyikan di padang pasir Libya selatan.

Adalah aneh bahawa dana itu dan bulion emas disebabkan pertempuran utama antara pemberontak dan pihak pemberontak di Selatan Libya Gunung Nefoussa.

Juga mendapati majlis ketenteraan bandar Murzuq Libya kubur besar-besaran yang mengandungi tinggalan beberapa pemberontak di rantau ini terletak di antara wilayah dan Figuig Almknosh, yang Murzuq jauh dari bandar kira-kira 120 kilometer di antara gunung.

Bagi pihaknya, Presiden Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Misi di Libya, Ian Martin, bahan nuklear Libya belum hilang, menunjukkan bahawa tidak ada risiko penularan senjata di negara ini.

Beliau berkata: “Agensi Tenaga Atom Antarabangsa (IAEA) diperiksa pada kesembilan kemudahan Tajoura nuklear Disember di Tripoli dan Tkhozinat uranium ditempatkan di Sabha.”

Juga memainkan turun kebimbangan penyebaran permukaan untuk peluru berpandu udara ke negara-negara jiran, tetapi menegaskan bahawa beliau merampas ribu tentera yang setia kepada rejim bekas, tetapi kekal di Libya dan telah dijaga.

Kata Ian Martin, berkata pakar-pakar dari Pertubuhan Antarabangsa menggesa Libya untuk menghilangkan cache yang besar oleh artikel “kek kuning ‘uranium, yang menarik, kerana ia mengandungi bahan yang tidak selamat.

Khazanah buys Turkish group for RM5.32b

Read More: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111223231827/Article/

Khazanah's 70 per cent-owned subsidiary Integrated Healthcare Holdings Sdn Bhd (IHH) yesterday announced it would buy a 60 per cent stake in Acibadem Saglik Yatirimlari Holding A.S. (ASYH). Another 15 per cent stake would be acquired through Khazanah's wholly-owned special purpose vehicle Bagan Lalang Ventures Sdn Bhd. ASYH is Khazanah's first direct investment in a Turkish company. "This acquisition values Acibadem at about US$1,680 million (RM5,320 million) for its entire Class A and Class B share capital," IHH said in a statement yesterday. Acibadem's founder Mehmet Ali Aydinlar and family will own the remaining 25 per cent of ASYH, IHH added. The acquisition, signed yesterday, will be paid partly in cash and partly in the form of newly-issued IHH shares. This means Aydinlar family and Abraaj Capital will emerge as shareholders of IHH. IHH noted that the ASYH deal followed the signing of a non-binding term sheet on September30 this year. "It represents another milestone for IHH in acquiring yet another best-in-class private healthcare provider," it added. Acibadem has a growing footprint of high-quality assets across Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, IHH said. News of Khazanah's Turkish venture has been circulating for some time, but the government investment arm did not confirm the acquisition until yesterday. IHH has medical assets in Malaysia, Singapore. Brunei, China and India. Last year, IHH bought most of its Singapore medical assets via a full takeover of Parkway Holdings Ltd, in a transaction that values the integrated healthcare group at US$35 billion (RM111.3 billion). Parkway and#8211; which operates three hospitals in Singapore, one in Brunei, six in China and two in India and#8211; was grouped in IHH with Khazanah's Pantai Holdings Bhd, which has nine hospitals in Malaysia. Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar said late last month it would float IHH shares next year. He, however, did not reveal the size of the initial public offering and listing venue.

‘Petronas in petrochem plant talks with oil majors’

Read More: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111223231344/Article/

Kuala Lumpur: Petronas is in talks with several global oil majors including Shell and Exxon Mobil to develop petrochemical plants within its US$20 billion (RM63.4 billion) refinery complex in southern Malaysia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Malaysia's national oil company is also talking to Japanese firms Itochu Corp and Mitsubishi Corp as well as to Dow Chemical Co and; the largest US chemical maker and as it seeks to tap surging Asian demand and diversify its earnings, the sources said. Petronas is expected to make a decision on the partnerships by mid-2012, which signals it is quickly moving beyond the feasibility stage of the project. "Petronas is getting a lot of interest for the joint-venture undertakings," said one source who declined to be identified as the talks are ongoing. "They have moved to the basic engineering and design stage and after this the tendering process for building the complex will start," the source added. Petronas, Shell and Mitsubishi officials in Malaysia declined to comment. Itochu, Dow Chemical and Exxon Mobil were not immediately available to comment. Petronas first unveiled the Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (RAPID) project in May and has said the complex will be commissioned by end-2016, which both sources said was on track. The US$20 billion complex is to be built in Johor which borders Singapore and#8211; the largest oil trading hub in Asia. The project is key to Petronas' plan to join the likes of India's Reliance Industries in grabbing a larger share in the US$395 billion (RM1.26 trillion) global market for specialty chemicals and high value raw materials used in products from diapers to higher performance tyres and LCD televisions. "In terms of markets for petrochemicals coming from RAPID, Petronas is aiming for Myanmar, Bangladesh and parts of the subcontinent," said a second source. "The potential is there as these are huge markets or in the case of Myanmar, just opening up." The RAPID project will include a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery that produces naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and fuel oil. The first source said the crude feedstock would come mostly from Petronas' equity projects in Sudan, Chad and eventually Venezuela instead of Malaysia's own higher quality and expensive crude, domestic production of which is slowing. The crude feedstock from Petronas equity projects will also be channeled into the petrochemicals and polymer complex, including a three million tonne-per-year (tpy) naphtha cracker and petrochemical derivatives facility focusing on synthetic rubber. "Over 1 million tonnes will be for ethylene and propylene and the rest for high grade specialty chemicals," said the first source. "Synthetic rubber is a big thing. Nearly 90 per cent of a tyre is made of synthetic rubber because natural rubber production is declining in Asia, so there is an opportunity for Petronas," the source added. The RAPID project gives Petronas' downstream operations a better chance of staying afloat in times of economic downturns and poor margins as it allows Malaysia's only Fortune 500 company to tap into its global feedstock sources, analysts say. Industry players have said Malaysia and Petronas' ramp-up of oil infrastructure in the southernmost tip of the country will create a "Greater Singapore" trading hub that allows the region to keep up with competitors like China. Petronas is counting on interest from Japanese firms which are looking to relocate their plants or re-invest outside their home base after the March tsunami and earthquake triggered uncertainty over future energy supply, the second source said. "The interest has particularly been strong from the usual Japanese players in the petrochemical market. This project has started at the right time," the source added. Reuters

Kulim gets shareholder nod for RM700m land buy

Read More: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111222230851/Article/

Johor Baru: Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd shareholders yesterday gave the go-ahead for the company to buy six parcels of oil palm plantation land in Johor for RM700 million cash from Johor Corporation (JCorp). While the shareholders' approval indicate their optimism of the purchase and of Kulim's outlook, for JCorp, the RM700 million it will get from the sale means it will have cash to meet its obligations on a bond maturing end of July next year. The sale is a major component of the JCorp group's rationalisation exercise. The RM700 million cash accruing from the estates' disposal is the first out of the expected RM1 billion cash to be generated before July 31 2012. The balance of RM300 million will come from internally generated funds. JCorp president and chief executive officer Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim said in a statement yesterday that the group is finalising a plan for repayment of its remaining debts. As part of the exercise, CIMB Bank which is also its adviser, and Maybank will act as joint lead managers for the issuance of new bonds in 2012. The purchase approved by Kulim shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting yesterday comprise six parcels of oil palm plantation land with total land area of 13,687 hectares and two palm oil mills. Meanwhile, Massive Equity Sdn Bhd (MESB), a special purpose vehicle jointly owned by JCorp and CVC Capital Partners (CVC), welcome the acceptance KFC Holdings Bhd and QSR Brands Bhd of its offer to buy the two fast food companies. The privatisation of QSR will not result in JCorp itself incurring additional debt, as funding for the transaction will be done via MESB on the strength of the future cash flow of the two businesses. Following completion of the disposal to MESB, the proceeds therefrom will be returned to all shareholders of QSR and KFC. The move will also present Kulim, which is currently the controlling shareholder of QSR, an opportunity to dispose of its stake in food retail businesses and focus on its core plantation business. Kamaruzzaman said the acquisition will enable JCorp to gain direct controlling interest in both companies it considers as having good fundamentals and long-term value.

Regional push for Malaysian banks

Read More: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111221233915/Article/

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday painted a picture of an integrated Asian economy full of opportunities and called on Malaysian banks to be prepared to take their businesses across borders. He said the forces of change are becoming apparent as factors such as demographic changes, greater requirements for infrastructure development and emergence of industries powered by innovation have hastened regional integrations. In his speech launching the Financial Sector Blueprint 2011-2020, Najib said Asian economic development is set to accelerate over the coming decade as income levels and technological advances pick up. The new blueprint takes over from the successful 10-year Financial Services Masterplan which just ended after building a strong foundation for the country's banking and financial sector. Najib said economic development in Asia will substantially lift the economic welfare of around four billion people or 60 per cent of the global population living in Asia, including the Middle East. Greater physical connectivity across the region will also spur economic integration as infrastructures are upgraded and intra-regional investments increased to tap opportunities and comparative advantages of every Asian country, he added. The changes pose big opportunities for the Malaysian financial sector to mobilise regional funds and promote resource allocation to investments efficiently. "I want to see our financial sector playing a key role in the cross-border intermediation of Asia's financial funds, with Malaysia's financial institutions continuing to venture abroad and to replicate their domestic success in these new markets," Najib said. This will mean enhancing regional connectivity, providing high quality competitive services and becoming responsible partners to the regional community. He said as Islamic finance becomes an ever more important component of the global financial system, Malaysia should continue to develop and capitalise on its world-beating experience. Najib said the domestic financial sector has expanded over the last 10 years, contributing 12 per cent to Malaysia's gross domestic product and creating jobs for nearly 145,000 people. He said the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience and stability during the global financial crisis. It has also continued to support businesses and economic activities in an intermediary capacity. "I believe the financial sector will play a pivotal role in helping Malaysia scale even greater heights and roll back new economic frontiers," he said.

Posco/Daewoo tipped to win Ampang LRT project

Read More: http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111221233625/Article/

Kuala Lumpur: A consortium led by Posco/Daewoo Engineering of Korea has emerged as the odds-on favourite to win a contract worth about RM1.1 billion to help undertake system works for the Ampang light rail transit (LRT) line extension project. Business Times understands that Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd favours Posco/Daewoo as it offered to use the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) Signalling System supplied by France-based Thales Group. For the Kelana Jaya LRT line extension and monorail system, Prasarana had awarded the system works contract to Thales on a direct negotiated basis because of the CBTC system. Thales' CBTC technology has been in use since 1985 and the system has been proven on 53 projects around the world. It is learnt that Thales was favoured again for such a job for the Ampang LRT line extension, but to demonstrate transparency, the French group decided to offer its technology to the four shortlisted groups namely Colas/CMC Engineering, George Kent/China Railway Samsung/LG and Posco/Daewoo. Tender for the contract closed on June 16. Initially, eight companies had submitted bids, ranging between RM950 million and RM1.45 billion. The other four contenders who did not make it to the final round were SNC Lavalin/WW Engineering,Siemens/Scomi, Ansaldo/Emrail and Invensys Rail/Ingress/Balfour Beatty. Prasarana officials said after careful evaluation, the board recommended to the Ministry of Finance Inc (MOF) to award the contract to Posco/Daewoo. "Posco/Daewoo was selected based on the Thales CBTC signalling system and they had offered the lowest price. The Letter of Award is expected to be issued to the consortium next month," an official told Business Times. The Posco/Daewoo consortium also comprises Japan's Sojitz Group and Global Rail Sdn Bhd, a local railway engineering and construction firm. Meanwhile, the official said that George Kent was not selected as the company lacks experience as a railway engineering and construction contractor. Samsung had quoted a higher price than Posco/Daewoo, while Colas/CMC was already awarded a contract worth RM673.92 million for system works for the Kelana Jaya LRT extension.

Weekly gold price (29 apr 2007-24-12-2011) meta trader analysis

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Pilihan kaedah pelaburan emas

Berikutan harga emas yang semakin melonjak naik, ditambah dengan pendedahan dan maklumat yang mudah diperolehi melalui media, kini semakin ramai yang berminat untuk menjadikan emas sebagai suatu aset untuk tujuan pelaburan. Rekod menunjukkan harga emas adalah stabil, dan tidak terikat kepada kadar inflasi sesebuah negara. Ramai yang bertanya, apakah bentuk pelaburan emas yang terbaik? Secara prinsip, yang terbaik adalah membeli emas pada kadar terendah dan menjualnya semula pada harga yang tertinggi.

Pelaburan emas, atau secara mudahnya menyimpan emas tidak dapat disangkal lagi mampu memberikan pulangan yang lumayan untuk suatu tempoh yang panjang. Sebagai contoh Emas 24K pada tahun 2000 lebih kurang RM40/g tapi hari ini RM177/g. Sekalipun anda tidak melaburkan emas tersebut , memadai dengan hanya menyimpannya dengan baik sudah menguntungkan kerana emas sendiri adalah penyimpan nilai kewangan yang kukuh. Menyimpan emas boleh dilakukan samada secara emas fizikal ataupun dengan membuat simpanan emas di bank seperti GIA, GSPA dan gold certificates. Jadual ringkas berikut disediakan untuk menunjukkan perbezaan di antara kedua-dua kategori tersebut:

Emas Fizikal	Simpanan Emas di Bank
Emas disimpan dalam bentuk fizikal, kata orang alah membeli menang memakai	Emas dibeli dalam bentuk saving/investment account dengan baki minimum setiap masa
Kepelbagaian dalam design dan boleh dijadikan perhiasan	Tiada kepelbagaian rekabentuk, untuk pelaburan semata-mata
Mudah dijual secara tunai pada bila-bila masa	Mudah dijual dalam waktu urusniaga bank
Emas boleh dipajakgadai / al Rahnu sekiranya memerlukan tunai dalam masa yang sama tidak kehilangan aset emas	Tidak boleh digadaikan. Sekiranya memerlukan tunai, aset emas perlu dijual
Risiko – kehilangan dan kecurian	Simpanan emas terjamin
Kadar susut nilai (spread) tinggi disebabkan harga belian termasuk kos upah	Kadar jualan semula lebih tinggi mengikut harga live-rate (hanya caj bank dikenakan)

Dalam pasaran Malaysia, emas fizikal dikategorikan kepada dua iaitu emas perhiasan dan emas jongkong. Emas perhiasan termasuklah cincin, gelang , rantai dan sebagainya manakala emas jongkong berupa gold bar dan gold coin. Ada pelanggan kami yang berminat dengan emas perhiasan, namun ada juga yang memilih emas jongkong sebagai simpanan. Kami sertakan sedikit perbandingan antara keduanya:

Emas Perhiasan	Emas Jongkong (gold coin / gold bar)
Kepelbagaian rekabentuk	Rekabentuk yang terhad
Cantik dan mudah dibawa ke mana-mana. Sesuai digayakan sebagai perhiasan	Hanya sesuai untuk pelaburan semata-mata
Kadar upah dikenakan mengikut rekabentuk	Tiada upah dikenakan, hanya berdasarkan berat
Mudah dijual semula dan dipajak di mana-mana pajak gadai atau bank al Rahnu	Mudah dijual semula. Mudah dipajak di pajak gadai konvensional. Bank al Rahnu tidak lagi menerima pajakan emas jongkong
Kepelbagaian kualiti dan harga, modal bergantung kepada kemampuan kewangan individu	Memerlukan modal yang agak tinggi
Ketulenan emas berbeza bergantung pada rekabentuk. Sekiranya jenis ‘kosong’ mutu emas biasanya tidak dapat dinilai dengan tepat	Ketulenan emas jongkong dapat dinilai dengan tepat
Di Selangor, zakat perlu dibayar apabila cukup haul apabila melebihi 800g	Di Selangor, zakat perlu dibayar apabila cukup haul dan melebihi 85g
Mindset kebanyakan penyimpan emas; emas perhiasan biasanya lebih dihargai dan disimpan lebih lama. Secara tidak langsung emas tersebut menjadi pelindung kekayaan dan akhirnya mendapat pulangan yang berlipat kali ganda	Mindset kebanyakan pelabur emas; emas jongkong biasanya dijual semula apabila harga telah mencapai target keuntungan, sekaligus tidak memaksimumkan pulangan. Dalam masa yang sama setelah emas tersebut dijual, harga belian semula sudah lebih tinggi

Tepuk dada tanyalah selera, terpulanglah pada anda untuk menyimpan emas secara mana. Teruslah menyimpan emas hari ini untuk masa hadapan. Namun perlu kita berhati-hati kerana akhir-akhir ini banyak kita dengar skim pelaburan emas yang tidak patuh syariah dan melanggar akta kewangan. Ada juga syarikat yang ditutup dan disenaraihitam oleh Bank Negara Malaysia.

Semoga anda mendapat manfaat dari post kali ini. Kami akan cuba menyedikan artikel lengkap berkenaan perihal zakat emas dan jual beli emas menurut Islam untuk panduan semua dalam sedikit masa lagi.

Perbandingan pelaburan emas Malaysia

Diam tak diam rupa-rupanya sudah setengah tahun saya terlibat dengan pelaburan emas Public Gold. Banyak kajian telah saya lakukan mengenai pelaburan emas selain dengan Public Gold. Memang terdapat beberapa spekulasi tentang pelaburan tersebut terutama sekali tentang keuntungan dan juga kerugiannya. Siapa berani bermain dengan api maka dia bertanggung jawab dengan sebarang kemungkinan yang terpaksa ditanggung. Kita tidak patut tergesa-gesa dan terburu-buru untuk membeli emas di kedai emas atau di tempat-tempat lain. Di bawah ini saya akan terangkan secara ringkas tentang rumusan yang telah saya perolehi terhadap kajian saya. Diharap para pembaca blog uncangemas.com dapat menggunakannya sebagai panduan untuk menyertai pelaburan emas …..

1. Kijang Emas

* Kita boleh beli dan perolehinya di cawangan Maybank yang tertentu
* Spreadnya adalah 1oz (6%), 1/2oz (8%), 1/4oz (10%)
* Diingatkan kita TIDAK boleh lock harga dan juga tidak boleh booking
* Kita dikehendaki datang sendiri di Maybank untuk mendapatkannya
* Perlu diingat stok sering kehabisan
* Dan yang perlu diingat pihak bank tidak akan beli semula jikalau tercalar dan yang
sewaktu dengannya

2. OUB

* Kita hanya boleh membelinya di OUB Utama sahaja
* Spreadnya adalah berdasarkan 1oz : AUS Nugget (2%), Gold Maple Leaf (2%), Kinebar
(2%), Pamp Gold (3.5%), Singapore Lion (2%)
* Kita perlulah dapatkan sendiri di OUB
* Sama seperti emas kijang, stok selalu habis
* Kita dikehendaki dan mesti membawa resit asal semasa jual balik dan
* Kita tidak boleh buka sarung

3. Pamp Suisse

* Mengenai emas Pamp Suisse kita boleh beli di kedai emas tertentu
* Spreadnya pula adalah diantara 10%-30% mengikut kehendak pengurus kedai tersebut
* Tetapi kita jangan lupa apabila kita buka sahaja sarungnya maka akan ditolak harga

4. Bunga Raya

* Emas jenis ini pula hanya boleh dibeli dan dijual di Poh Kong sahaja
* Spreadnya adalah 15%-25%
* Ianya sama seperti emas pamp suisse buka sarung tolak harga

5. Barang Kemas

* Yang bagusnya barang kemas adalah ianya boleh dibeli di mana-mana kedai emas
* Harga memang tinggi berbanding pasaran
* Spreadnya pula adalah 20%-40%

6. Dinar Emas Kelantan

* Dinar Kelantan boleh dibeli melalui ejen berdaftar atau orang perseorangan
* Masalahnya stok adalah terhad dan selalu kehabisan stok
* Spreadnya adalah 10%-15%

7. Public Gold & Public Dinar

* Emas PG boleh dibeli daripada mana-mana ejen Public Gold.
* Spreadnya rendah 5%-6% sahaja jika dibandingkan dengan emas-emas lain
* Dijamin beli balik walaupun telah dibuka sarungnya, kemek, calar dan sebagainya
asalkan berat masih sama
* Kita boleh booking dan lock harga yang kita kehendaki
* Yang paling penting emas PG dinilai oleh assayer emas yang
bertauliah
* Emas PG disertakan bersama dengan Certificate of Authenticity
* Timbangan berat emas adalah 100% dijamin tulen

Naza joins in race for Proton

Business Times understands that the Naza bid could be slightly higher than the rumoured price of RM6 to RM7 a share.

Read more: Naza joins in race for Proton http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111214230847/Article/#ixzz1gbrtOiqW

The Naza Group, the country's biggest privately-held automotive group, made a closed-door presentation to Khazanah Nasional Bhd yesterday to buy its stake in Proton Holdings Bhd. The presentation came just a day after UMW Holdings Bhd made a similar presentation to the government's investment fund. UMW has a 25-year-old strong relationship with Japanese Toyota Motor Corp, the world's largest carmaker by sales volume. UMW, which is majority-controlled by the government's Permodalan Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund, is also the single largest shareholder of Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of Malaysia's second national car. "They (Naza) have sent in a letter of intent to Khazanah to acquire Proton," said a person familiar with the matter. Business Times understands that the Naza bid could be slightly higher than the rumoured price of RM6 to RM7 a share. The other bidder for the national carmaker is DRB-HICOM Bhd, the country's biggest publicly-traded automotive company. DRB-HICOM is controlled by Malaysia's second youngest billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. Almost seven years ago, Syed Mokhtar had locked horns with the Naza Group for control over DRB-HICOM. Against the odds, the tycoon came out tops and since then, his management team has helped transform DRB-HICOM into a profitable entity. Khazanah has a 42.7 per cent stake in Proton, and has confirmed in recent days that it had received proposals on Proton from certain parties. A bid at RM7 a share values Proton at RM3.84 billion, which is a steep premium over its current market value of slightly over the RM2.1 billion mark. It is, however, still much lower than the national carmaker's book value of RM5.4 billion or RM9.84 per share as at end-March 2011. The Naza pitch is a stand-alone bid, with no foreign participation. The group has been in the automotive business since 1975, and has been one of the more successful private businesses operating in the competitive automotive business. "It has a proven track record in the business," said the source. The Naza group and#8212; the country's largest importer of luxury automobiles such as Ferrari, Peugeot and Brabus and#8212; has in recent years, carved a significant share in the buoyant retail car market. It currently has tie-ups with South Korea's Kia Motors, French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroën, and General Motors, the US automotive giant. Naza has a manufacturing plant in Gurun, Kedah, which has rolled out more than 150,000 vehicles to date. The Naza group had invested as much as RM500 million in May 2004 to set up the plant, which is its flagship manufacturing base.

Gold Price Analysis 2 Years Pattern Explained

Total trade hits RM1tril despite global slowdown

Exports grew by 15.8 per cent, beating market expectations, while imports grew slower than expected at 4.6 per cent.

Read more: Total trade hits RM1tril despite global slowdown http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20111210004538/Article/#ixzz1gCh9ZFx5

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's total trade crossed the RM1 trillion mark at RM1.05 trillion for the first 10 months of the year, marking a strong achievement during challenging global trading environment.The International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), in releasing the data yesterday, said exports in October recorded the highest monthly value at RM63.57 billion. Exports grew by 15.8 per cent, beating market expectations, while imports grew slower than expected at 4.6 per cent. Total trade expanded by 10.6 per cent to RM113.91 billion during the month. Its minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the positive export performance made the six to seven per cent target for the ear "realisable". "Nonetheless, the ripple effect of the financial doldrums of the eurozone and the United States may hit Asia, and it is important for Malaysian manufacturers and exporters to be alert and be prepared for the challenges ahead," Mustapa said. Credit Suisse economist Wu Kun Lung said this was the fifth consecutive month that exports had beaten the consensus forecast. Strong commodity exports have enabled the trade surplus to widen to RM13.2 billion, up from RM9.6 billion in September. According to Miti, the major contributors were chemicals and chemical products, the manufacture of metal and rubber products, which increased by 24.3 per cent, 38.5 per cent and 23.7 per cent respectively. The growth had offset the impact of the lower exports of electrical and electronic products, which declined by nine per cent. Commodities, mainly liquefied natural gas, palm oil and crude and refined petroleum products, contributed 76.2 per cent to export growth in October. In terms of markets, China topped the list, expanding by 37.1 per cent in October. Exports to Japan rose 29.6 per cent, mainly due to meeting post-tsunami and earthquake reconstruction needs and new demand arising from supply chain disruptions caused by floods in Thailand.

Apakah Itu Dinar?

Apakah Itu Dinar?      

Dinar adalah syiling emas. Ia diperbuat daripada emas 22 karat (916) serta mempunyai berat 4.25 gram. Spesifikasi ini telah ditetapkan oleh Khalifah Umar Al-Khattab.

Dirham pula ialah syiling perak berketulenan 999 dan mempunyai berat sebanyak 3 gram.

Khalifah Umar Al-Khattab juga telah menetapkan piawaian berat dan ukuran perbezaan di antara dinar dan dirham seperti berikut.
7 dinar mesti bersamaan 10 dirham (dari segi beratnya) .

Penggunaan Dinar Emas      

Dinar boleh digunakan sebagai:

1. Penyimpan kekayaan
2. Untuk membayar zakat
3. Untuk membayar mas kahwin
4. Sebagai hadiah
5. Sebagai medium pertukaran yang sah bagi urusan jual beli.

1. Dinar sebagai penyimpan kekayaan.
Masyarakat di seluruh dunia mengiktiraf emas sebagai simbol kekayaan, kekuasaan dan kecantikan. Emas mempunyai nilai intrinsiknya yang tersendiri dan nilainya tidak mungkin menjadi sifar. Selain itu, sifatnya yang cantik, sukar ditemui dan unik menyebabkan manusia menghargai emas.
Sejarah membuktikan bahawa emas merupakan penyimpan nilai terunggul apabila wang kertas mengalami kemerosotan nilai.
Dengan menyimpan sebahagian daripada aset anda di dalam bentuk emas, anda mempunyai insurans untuk melindungi kekayaan anda.

2. Untuk membayar zakat.
Sejak awal lagi, zakat dibayar menggunakan dinar dan dirham. Pembayaran zakat tidak pernah menggunakan wang kertas sehinggalah kejatuhan kerajaan Uthmaniyah.

Ini kerana zakat perlu dibayar menggunakan aset yang nyata, di dalam Bahasa Arab dipanggil "ain". Zakat tidak boleh dibayar dengan janji untuk membayar (atau hutang, di dalam bahasa Arab dipanggil "dayn".

Dinar dan dirham adalah termasuk dalam kategori 'ain' manakala wang kertas pula termasuk di dalam kategori 'dayn'.

Wang kertas dipanggil 'fulus' kerana ia hanya mewakili wang dan ia tidak mempunyai nilai sebagai barangan.

Oleh yang demikian, adalah penting bagi umat Islam untuk beralih kepada dinar dan dirham sebagai medium pembayaran zakat.

3. Untuk membayar mas kahwin.
Mas kahwin ialah dibayar oleh seorang suami kepada bakal isterinya. Ianya dibayar kepada isteri sebagai tanda menghormatinya dan juga menunjukkan kesungguhan mengahwininya seta tidak sewenang-wenangnya memasuki kontrak perkahwinan tanpa rasa tanggungjawab di pihaknya.

Di Malaysia misalnya, salah seorang artis popular yang menggunakan dinar sebagai mas kahwin ialah M Nasir ketika berkahwin dengan Marlia Musa. Mas kahwin mereka ialah 13 dinar.

4. Dinar sebagai hadiah.
Memandangkan emas mempunyai sifat cantik, sukar diperoleh dan mempunyai nilai intrinsiknya yang tersendiri, ia amat sesuai diberikan sebagai hadiah. Ini kerana emas begitu dihargai oleh manusia. Sebab itu kita boleh lihat generasi tua mewariskan barangan kemas kepada generasi muda, contohnya subang, rantai, gelang cincin dan sebagainya.

5.  Sebagai medium pertukaran yang sah bagi urusan jual beli.
Emas ialah wang yang terunggul. Kenapa? Kerana ia memenuhi ciri-ciri sebagai wang. Ianya sukar diperoleh, cantik, mudah dibahagikan, mudah dibawa, diterima oleh seluruh manusia dan tidak boleh dimusnahkan.

Sejak 3000 tahun emas telah digunakan sebagai wang oleh manusia (syiling emas pertama ditempa di Lydia kira-kira 700 tahun SM). Fungsi emas yang utama telah dikenal pasti sebagai medium pertukaran yang unggul. Sejarah wang kertas dan logam murah yang tidak disandarkan kepada emas dan perak cuma bermula kira-kira 4o tahun (1970 sehingga sekarang)