Key Indicators for HSR Projects by Khor Yu Leng

I have been reviewing some general stats for a #HighSpeedRail project comparison. RM1-trillion-in-debt (US$250 million) Malaysia is relooking its KL-Singapore HSR project (#MyHSR #SgHSR), and I take a look at the Taipei-Kaohsiung HSR which has intriguing similarities including the price tag.

Commentary in Channel News Asia published on 2 July 2018, available here.

Rapid transit is looking into novel systems. In recent news #ElonMusk's 2013 novel tube-transit #HyperLoop idea is getting a serious look by Chicago (albeit a more basic #Loop non-vacuum or conventional tunnel version)! Notably, no taxpayer money (nor hidden guarantees, presumably). It is private funded. "In exchange for paying to build the new transit system, #BoringCo would keep the revenue from the system’s transit fees and any money generated by advertisements, branding and in-vehicle sales." Chicago set transit time and ticket cost hurdles, and got four bidders.

Back to conventional HSR. In summary, Malaysia cost concerns include:

·       A lower project cost. In consideration of the high debt situation, and to lower fares.

·       A lower fare, to undercut the cost of air travel between Singapore and KL. 

·       A lower fare, for an affordable domestic service for the average Malaysian. 

There will no doubt be a wider discussion on the #socioeconomic implications of HSR and lower-cost medium-speed rail options now mooted (at 1/3 the cost of KL-Singapore HSR) . The #Mahathir administration is mandated to improve the livelihoods of the average Malaysian and look into issues of jobs, incomes, affordability of homes, and the cost of living. Sources reckon that part of the KL-Singapore HSR justification is property development and a ramp up in property prices. If this is so, it may not sit well with ongoing concerns about affordability.

Please contact us for detailed data and analysis; and for redistribution.

(c) 2018 Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors. All rights reserved.

Malaysia: Johor Property & Prices, Jan 2018

There could be a quarter million Singaporeans  visiting Johore each week. Thanks to newly available data about cross-border traffic volumes we have better estimates of the to-and-fros of Singaporeans and Johoreans. Are Singaporeans really to blame for pushing up Johor property values (Part 1) and the cost of everyday goods and services (Part 2)? The simplistic blame-the-Singaporean game seems to be long over-stated. The data and a wider reading of the issue suggests strong domestic forces at play too.

There is no doubt that Singapore cash is sought by restaurants, retailers, and property developers. Johor households are impacted by rising prices; with urban and rural folk also pinched by household debt. Recent surveys point to pro-development views among Johoreans (especially rural), along with a dip anti-Singaporean feelings. Do they recognise homegrown issues contributing to Johor’s price inflation; and do they balance this against income opportunities from Singapore FDI and its open job market?

In Part 1, we review the indicators for the property sector and found it hard to lay the blame fully on just one sector of buyers - Singaporeans. In Part 2, the data suggests that the impact of foreign visitors adds to domestic-origin pressures; and Johor suffers the highest price inflation in all Malaysia. Urban households face debt concerns and rural households are pressured by price increases.

#Malaysia #Johor #Singapore #AffordableHousing #CostofLiving #HouseholdDebt #Felda #KhorReports

Read Part 1 by clicking here: On Johor Property by KHOR Yu Leng 

Read Part 2 by clicking here: On Johor Prices by KHOR Yu Leng

Johor price inflation versus other states

(c) 2018 Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Johor Bahru urban household and Johor Felda rural household surplus and debt

(c) 2018 Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Malaysia's Structural Reliance on Foreign Labour: A Data Report (Khor Reports)

We've released a new data report on our analysis of Malaysia's structural reliance on foreign labour. To access the full data report, sign up for our newsletter in the form below to receive your exclusive password to the report! The report is accessible at this link. Malaysia's Structural Reliance on Foreign Labour (Khor Reports)

A preview of the report

---

We analysed some interesting data on foreign labour in each Malaysian state and district from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) - using data on citizen and non-citizens - and found some surprising results. Sabah's share of foreign labour was the highest in the country, at approximately 37%, followed by Selangor at 11%. 

View fullsize

Non-Citizens and Citizens (2016) by State

(c) 2018 Khor Reports - Segi Enam Advisors Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

#Labour #MigrantWorkers #PalmOil #Sustainability #RSPO #Johor #Sabah #Malaysia #SoutheastAsia #KhorReports

To access the full report and to receive more insights and exclusive access to future reports, sign-up for our newsletter!

The full data report is accessible at this link. Malaysia's Structural Reliance on Foreign Labour (Khor Reports)

Subscribe to our newsletter to access this report and receive access to more exclusive content!