Manufacturing hurtles down a cliff Source: Statistics Department, Malaysia There are three components to our Industrial Production Index — manufacturing, mining and electricity. Manufacturing (see dotted line), the most crucial, appears to be in free fall by December. Manufacturing accounts for 71 per cent of the Index and contributes 28 per cent of GDP. It also employs 20 per cent of workers. And then there’s the ‘multiplier effect’ on the rest of the economy.
BN/Umno flags already fluttering in the Taiping-Bukit Gantang area Photo by Jong
A couple of different sources have alerted me to a fairly large police presence – perhaps a hundred or more – around Karpal Singh’s residence in Penang. Riot police trucks are in the area and roads blocks have been set up around the Waterfall Road/Western Road area. Reports blog reader tan, tanjung bunga: I passed Karpal Singh’s residence at around 3.00 pm: lots of FRU personnel and other policemen in the vicinity of his residence, with FRU personnel also lining-up in front of his gate and dozens of media people positioned opposite the gate. You can imagine the traffic jams in the whole area! From your post, it’s possible that the security personnel are trying to protect Karpal’s residence from the Umno demonstrators! Congrats to them then for protecting a citizen!
The Election Commission has fixed 29 March as nomination day and polling day on 7 April for both the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections. Nomination day thus falls a day after the Umno general assembly concludes on 28 March.
A new billboard in KL has sparked speculation over Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s political future. The billboard, along Jalan Syed Putra near the turnoff to Taman Seputeh, features a large portrait of Abdullah Badawi, at least 10 feet high, with the words “Opinions Ideas appreciated, viewpoints welcomed”. It also includes his email a website address. Blog reader lanwm spotted the billboard too: I was like I can’t believe my eyes when I saw that huge billboard with his face! I tried covering it with my hands but it was just too huge to be covered! The question that a few are asking is, why would a Prime Minister who is leaving office soon want to solicit public views during the twilight days of his administration?