Recent Commentaries on Durian

Mulling the economic and price implications of freezing durians, an important change in the Malaysian durian supply chain. Price transparency is an issue. Interviewed for “China to buy US$120 million of durians a year from Malaysia as spike in sales expected after green light on export of whole fruits,” 18 Jun 2019, Tashny Sukumuran, SCMP.

On durian prices and grades. A hefty bill for Malaysia fans? But why are Singapore prices cited as lower? BFM podcast, “WOULD YOU DUIT FOR DURIAN?” Khor Yu Leng, Independent Political Economist, Segi Enam Advisors 04-Jun-19. Produced by Tasha Fusil, BFM.

Big boys getting into Malaysia durian? Property tycoon Lim Kang Hoo connects China players (including Greenland) with FGV Berhad. He also buys Mahathir-linked. Value-added durian products eyes. Durian pizza? “As Malaysia ramps up its durian exports to China, quirky product offerings may be answer to rivalling Thailand’s dominance,” by Khor Yu-Leng, 6 May 2019, SCMP Commentary.

 #durian #Malaysia #China #ChinaMalaysia #BRI

Via Linkedin Profile, other commentaries and interviews in the media are linked here.

Penang Landslide Tragedy (Second with Major Loss of Life)

Recently (and once again), a land use change tragedy in #Penang, #Malaysia. Recent news items (plus an older review by Mongabay, and link to Anil Netto’s blog for more details on Penang land development) immediately below. And at the bottom, a political-economy of #landdevelopment in Malaysia.

• Yahoo, Malay Mail - More groups demand stop to hill slope developments in Penang

• Channel News Asia - Penang landslide: Rescuers recover ninth body, expect to find more victims

• Mongabay - In Malaysia, an island drowns in its own development. Has Penang Island’s growth become a hazard to life?

• Anil Netto’s blog on Penang land and transport development

For a political economy context review, do check out…. May 6, 2018: MALAYSIA: THE POLITICAL-ECONOMY OF LAND DEVELOPMENT (OR THE POLITICS OF FLOODS) BY KHOR YU LENG

This #ISEAS Yusof Ishak seminar should be interesting: Malaysia’s #Flood Catastrophes: Examining the Past, Learning from the Present, and Changing the Future. Date: Monday, 12 November 2018. Fiona Clare Williamson (Assistant Professor in Science, Technology and Society at Singapore Management University) and Ngai Weng Chan (Professor of Water Resources Management at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia).

In the Media: Did the KL-Singapore High-Speed Rail Unravel Because of Costs?

2 July 2018 in Commentary for Channel News Asia, here (screenshot below). 

Political economist Khor Yu Leng takes a look at the economics of the HSR between Singapore and Malaysia and how it compares to other notable high-speed rail networks in Asia.

And check out our key data summary points here (image on right). 

Live Radio: Interview about GE14 - BECAUSE FELDA MATTERS

I was on a radio show interview this morning. GE14 - BECAUSE FELDA MATTERS by KHOR Yu Leng, Independent Political Economist, Segi Enam Advisors 08-May-18 11:13 on BFM 89.9 The Business Station.

#PoliticalEconomy #BFM #Felda #FGV

On the Rural Political Economy of Malaysia

This is looking back a bit,  but thought it might be useful to draw together here various media interviews and think tank articles I have had on this subject. Primarily on the Felda-FGV political economy.

Recent and upcoming:

• A radio show interview. GE14 - BECAUSE FELDA MATTERS by KHOR Yu Leng, Independent Political Economist, Segi Enam Advisors 08-May-18 11:13 on BFM 89.9 The Business Station.

• Two topics in commentary: 'FELDA in GE14 - New Access to the BN Fortress and a Takeover Rumour' in The Edge Malaysia http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/felda-ge14-%E2%80%94-access-bn-fortress-and-takeover-rumour.

• Research article comparing the voting preference and socio-economic indicators for Felda settlements and kampung biasa in GE14.

Playing palm oil politics ahead of Malaysia’s elections By KHOR Yu Leng - East Asia Forum, Australia National University, Crawford School, 26 April 2018.

The FELDA Quarrel and its National Ramifications By KHOR Yu Leng - ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 12 Jul 2017.

Malaysia Paddy Fields Are Najib’s Battlefield to Woo Voters By Shamim Adam, Bloomberg, June 20, 2016.

The Political Tussle Over Felda Land Schemes by KHOR Yu Leng - Kajian Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2014.

Others include interviews on Al Jazeera news.

Also, do read:

Voting Behaviour in FELDA Parliamentary Constituencies since 2004 by Geoffrey Pakiam, 26 Apr 2018.

Coalitions in Collision: Malaysia's 13th General Elections, Ed. J Saravanamuttu et al., 2015. Chapters by Maznah Mohamad and KHOR Yu Leng.

#Felda #FGV #Malaysia #PRU14 #GE14 #PRU13 #GE13 #PoliticalEconomy #GeneralElection

Think tank: Counting Migrant Workers in Malaysia

Published by ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS): "Counting Migrant Workers in Malaysia:  A Needlessly Persisting Conundrum” by Hwok-Aun Lee  and KHOR Yu Leng is now out and downloadable... https://www.iseas.edu.sg/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2018_25@50.pdf

Features #KhorReports geo-data analytics and estimates on foreign worker ratio by district. 

#Malaysia #Labour #Data #DataScience  

Think tank: Palm Oil Issues and Malaysia's GE14 on East Asia Forum-ANU Crawford

Recently out, commentary at East Asia Forum, at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University:

Playing palm oil politics ahead of Malaysia’s elections

26 April 2018  Author: Yu Leng Khor, Singapore

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/04/26/playing-palm-oil-politics-ahead-of-malaysias-elections/

This piece also picked up by other media, including Channel News Asia, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/malaysia-general-election-felda-palm-oil-politics-10178430

In the Media: Wider 4G Coverage in Malaysia Paves Way for a 'WhatsApp Election'

#KhorReports mapping data and commentary is featured in The Straits Times. In Shannon Teoh's report: 

...68 per cent of Malaysians are now using mobile broadband, a massive jump from 14 per cent in 2013.... Nowhere is this more apparent than in Johor, according to political economist Khor Yu Leng. "The digital reach is potentially complete across the entire state, with the exception of the forest zones. This affordable access to digital social media is unprecedented, especially in rural Peninsular Malaysia, along the coastal belts and in Johor," she told The Straits Times... This puts previously impenetrable areas, such as Felda settlements, in play....

Please click here to access the article (subscription may be required).

#SocialMedia #WhatsApp #DataScience #Data #GE13 #PRU14 #Malaysia #Johor #PoliticalEconomy #Felda

Khor Reports map data & analytics

Featured in The Straits Times, Singapore, 19 Apr 2018.

In the Media: Malaysia’s Mid-Week Polling Day to Impact Voter Turnout

Commentary: Malaysia’s mid-week polling day may impact voter turnout in Johor, Kelantan and East Malaysia

The worry for politicians facing the ruling BN coalition is that the voters most affected are “outstation voters”. They work in bigger urban areas including the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Penang and Singapore, and they tend to be opposition supporters.

The BN wants to discourage urban outstation voters from going back to vote in their usually more rural home seats and cause an electoral upset in their rural stronghold. These voters need to travel some distance intra or inter-state or further including from Peninsular to East Malaysia to return home to vote.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/malaysia-voting-day-may-impact-over-a-million-voters-10131718

#KhorReports #Data #SocialMedia #PulangMengundi #Migrants#Traffic #Waze #PoliticalEconomy #GeneralElection #GE14 #PRU14

CLICK HERE to view our map infographic on Peninsular Malaysia with data on road traffic surges from PLUS and Waze that point to key outstation voter (affected by the mid-week day polling) segments.