Daily commentary on Asian business strategy, management, market research, marketing tips, business prospects, economic and culture news. Market prospects. Economic prospects. Short reviews, links, advice, satire and topical coverage for international and Asian managers doing business in Asia.

The Hari Ini column is available daily on the Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine home page. Sure.. go there now for more of the same. At least it's fresher...

This page contains one month of the archives.

The Hari Ini column documents off-the cuff comments, very odd spots, unsubstantiated rumours, misinterpretations, cruel innuendo, limp jokes, dodgy links, tips lacking in credibility, and other material very roughly related to Asian business, marketing, management, culture, politics, economics and why the earth is round.

Some of the items emerge into sections later on; some are contributed by email or word of mouth by friends of the forum, columnists, editorial advisors, and the Chao Phraya River Rat. ..Most of it just ends up here...

Basically it means we can at least comment on happenings that we wouldn't otherwise have the time to.

"Hari Ini" means "Today" in both Malaysian and Indonesian.

..Which means that everything on this page is already outta date...

As the masthead suggests, this column also includes all the news that doesn't fit..

It also means we can add some lightheartedness and CNN type shallowness to our otherwise more serious content. As CNN proves, such content sells...

Mostly the column just reflects the mood of the editors on the day, and gives a potted summary of key issues in the region. If you want it to reflect your mood as well, email us contributions at chiyo@apmforum.com.

Chiyo Hyiuiki (Webmaster, and on behalf of the editors)

Bangkok Thailand: Tuesday January 1st 2002 - Sawatdee Pi Mei

To all our readers, the best wishes for a fulfilling and successful 2002, and happy new year.. in other words - Selamat Tahun Baru - Sawatdee Pi Mei.

We enter the new year with South Asia reaching new levels of political risk, South East Asia finishing off an uninspiring economic year with some glimmers of hope, Taiwan and South Korea demonstrating more substantial signs of recovery and the all-important Japan moribund. A resurgent China was one of the brighter spots of 2001, increasing it's competitiveness internationally with WTO entry and concerted market reforms - but that very growth also is a major threat to other Asian nations large and small. China's massive potential however still hides concomitant risks for the international marketor and business entrepreneur.

We welcome you to what will be a challenging 2002, and congruent with our mission established 7 years ago, we hope to make our own small contribution to maximising excellence and professionalism in management, strategy and marketing in Asia.

Come January 10th we will be launching the APMF network - functionality that enables all APMF readers to make their own mark on the forum and the Asian Business Strategy and Street Intelligence Ezine by new discussion and networking facilities. Add to that new columns, a faster server, and the transformation of Hari Ini into a multi-authored column and we are sure the APMF will prove itself to be an essential daily destination for all Asian business strategy, marketing and management professionals.

Bangkok Thailand: Wednesday December 26th 2001

APMF Network: Testers wanted! The APMF is in holiday mode until the 31st December. Well, that is what it looks like anyway... In fact, we are busy trialling the new APMF Network, a completely new section which provides APMF members with the ability to discuss, post their interests, enjoy discounts for conferences and seminars held by our sponsors and ourselves, chat, and send and receive messages to other network members in a secure, spam free and exclusive environment. While the APMF's Asian Business Strategy and Street Intelligence Ezine will be unaffected and continue to provide existing and new columnists and articles, the APMF Network will allow you to become more than just a browser - to become far more involved and put your mark on the forum. At present almost 1,500 readers subscribe to our update email service via Yahoo Groups, and many subscribe to our news feeds - but that is one-way communication only. After over 6 years on the Web and the publication of over 200 PDF research articles, 500 original columns and over 3,000 unique visitors a day, the APMF is now well known as the premier on-line resource for international business, marketing, research, management and strategy professionals with an interest in Asian markets, consumers, business culture, trade, economics, and news. We feel many of our visitors would also like to become a member of a professional and mature community as well. Though many good discussion and network facilities exist on the Web, the great majority are oriented to leisure and juvenile interests. No silly smilies or pretty pictures here - just top quality shared business intelligence! Membership in the APMF Network is free, though a short on-line registration and verification procedure that takes less than 5 minutes is required to ensure that discussion marketing spam is kept to a bare minimum and is controlled by our editors and moderators. For a sneak preview and to help us in testing, be one of the first to register, thereby claiming your username, and becoming one of the founding members by posting in any of the areas. There WILL BE bugs for the next 10 days, but you can also get to know the editors and moderators better, as that is where we will be for most of the time - and be a part of testing and developing the network site for public launch. You can also nominate yourself to be a moderator of existing or new topic-based forums. The APMF Network facility is still under development, so please understand that there is a small chance that some of your postings may disappear, (though none of your registration information will be lost) by the time we go live on January 10th 2002. To enable us to provide high quality in moderation and membership, APMF Network membership will attract a fee from March 2002. However, all existing members with over 10 moderated posts by that time will be exempt from the membership fee. Meanwhile, back at the ezine, enjoy our holiday reading including Nok Noi's special holiday comic, Blanchard's Christmas Parable, our travel reviews, and our columnists final thoughts for 2001. Looking further ahead, our annual 2001/2 Review and Outlook will be published in the first week of 2002. Review the highlights of 2001 with us and digest and discuss our outlook for Asian business and implications for Asian strategy then. Just a few titles from the reviews.. The Demise of AsiaWeek and the Asian free press, Japan's recalcitrant economy, Osama's Legacy, China, Taiwan and the WTO, Malaysia loses it's opposition, Biotech and health care the rising suns?, Sun-up for Asian Brands?, and A Shock for Singapore... 21st December 2001: All work and no play? As we wind down for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Christmas in Malaysia, our content becomes more.. well.. leisurely.. as we turn our attention away from our usual fare of economics, business and management to holidays and travel. Recently we updated the latest votes in our "Sense of Place" ongoing survey.. Over 500 people have cast votes across various categories and today we updated the Best Airlines in Asia, Best Bars in Asia, and the Best Places in Asia. Just in time for the holidays, our reader's own thoughts on the best places to go... Have a look, contribute your own votes and thoughts and look for updates to our airports, hotel and restaurant surveys in the next week or two.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Thursday December 20th 2001

The APMF is off to Bangkok to cover Christmas in Thailand today, so there are no new items. Thanks to the Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur for accomodation during our stay in Kuala Lumpur, and the many Malaysians who shared their buka puasa and Hari Raya Aidilfitri with us. Things are hotting up in Thailand with PM Thaksin receiving his first downward popularity rating since his election, an iffy economy, pollies kids running amok (so what's new?), but lots of business optimism in the land of smiles.. Optimism?.. Yep, thats what our Bangkok buddies say, and we will be take little time to shake the real truth out of them face to face.. Stay with us throughout the rest of December and January for all the good stuff from the land of smiles...

(Eds...)

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Sunday December 16th 2001

All work and no play? As we wind down for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Christmas in Malaysia, our content becomes more.. well.. leisurely.. as we turn our attention away from our usual fare of economics, business and management to holidays and travel. Recently we updated the latest votes in our "Sense of Place" ongoing survey.. Over 500 people have cast votes across various categories and today we updated the Best Airlines in Asia, Best Bars in Asia, and the Best Places in Asia. Just in time for the holidays, our reader's own thoughts on the best places to go... Have a look, contribute your own votes and thoughts and look for updates to our airports, hotel and restaurant surveys in the next day or two.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Wednesday December 12th 2001

The holy month of Ramadan is nearing a close for the world's Muslims this week. During this month, Muslims focus on the spiritual rather than the worldly. Fasting requirements means that Muslims not partake in eating, drinking or smoking at all during sunrise and sunset, while "buka puasa" (literally translated as "breaking fast") dinners with friends and family mark the "going down of the sun".

Consequently, Malay business, and business and government administration in countries with predominantly Muslim populations takes a second place to religious observations. In our region, this affects most Middle Eastern countries, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Muslim communities in Thailand (mainly in the South) and Muslim dominated states in the Philippines.

Those visiting these countries during this time will often be invited to a Buka Puasa by their Islam colleagues. Buka Puasa - literally "Break of the Fast" - is the evening meal following sunset when Muslims, in observing the holy month of Rammadan get together with family and friends to celebrate the closure and reflect on another day of wordly sacrifice. To be invited to Buka Puasa with your Islam colleagues is a great compliment and should not be missed. Muslims are advised that the daily Buka Puasa should be only to mix with others and celebrate friendship. Thats why it is a great compliment, and also why business talk is strictly off the menu. Buka Puasa at home is the most traditional, however urban and middle class people often celebrate at city hotels. A quick survey of Muslim friends of the Rat has identified the Shangri-La in KL, and the Hyatt in Jakarta as being the best central city Buka Puasa spreads for the upwardly mobile this year. Close runner-ups are the Mandarin Oriental KL, Mandarin Oriental KL, and Shangri-La Jakarta. Enjoy!

From around 15th December, the "Keepers of the Seal" in the various Muslim countries world-wide will keep watch for the new moon, and on the day the new moon is sighted, Ramadam finishes and it is then Aidilfitri (The spelling varies according to country and the local variant of tranlsation into English - Bahasa Melayu for "holiday" is Hari Raya - making the common greeting to Muslims "Hari Raya Aidilfitri"), This is a festive time when the fast finishes and a massive buka pasa commences, marked by visiting friend's homes, feasting and exchange of gifts.

It may well explain why you hear less from your partners there until next year.

This year's Ramadan was different from the rest, for it was probably the first time that many Westerners heard of the practice due to increased awareness on Islam following the twin tower's attack allegedly by extremist Osama bin Laden and the debate over the ethics of continuing the war against terror in Afghanistan during the month.

.::.discuss.::.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Friday December 7th 2001

Singapore has had it for a while, Hong Kong almost got it, Malaysian PM Mahathir says he hasn't got it though several ratings agencies say he has, and today Japan finally succumbed. Yes it's the ol' recession blues. Today Japan released figures that their 3rd quarter growth in GDP was -0.05, meeting the generally accepted definition of recession or two months of negative economic growth. It's just another in the daily stream of bad economic indicators from Japan.

Meanwhile it was a good day to end the week for other Asian stock market indicies. Taiwan's stock market hasn't looked back since Chen's victory last weekend, with major gains for the week, and Korea is steadily improving. Singapore has seen the turnaround that we predicted for Asian business and financial indicators we predicted two weeks ago, and even the usually recalcitrant Kuala Lumpur Composite Index, which tends to go in the opposite direction than anyone else, is finally pulling into line. That glimmer of a smile on the face of (most of) the tigers and cubs - started to broaden a bit more this week.

Admin Note Friday 7th Dec: Our "Email this page" facility was offline due to server problems recently. Please accept out apologies and note the facility is now working again. It is a great way to let colleagues know of pages by email on the APMF and the Asian Business Strategy and Street Intelligence E-zine (or even remind yourself if you don't have time to read at the time!). Available at the bottom menu of each column, review, article, or content page.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Wednesday December 5th 2001

We apologise for intermittent server problems over the last 2 days. We expect the problem to be solved this week, though it has affected the posting of new materal in the meantime. Thank you for your patience.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: Monday December 3rd 2001

Hong Kong posted better economic figures than expected on the weekend including an 0.4% GDP increase quarter on quarter for the third quarter. Unemployment is at an 18 month high, and domestic demand is down, compounding the effects of the slowdown in the US economy, Hong Kong's second largest trading partner. While the GDP results lets Hong Kong off the hook by forestalling an official recession (two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth), both the Hong Kong government and investors are still cautious in overinterpreting the figures to suggest an upturn. Indeed, economic news from the US was black late last week with unexpected poor consumer confidence figures and high profile failures including Enron from the energy sector. Meanwhile, tourism, as noted a few days ago in this column, remains stagnant.

Hong Kong's greatest challenge however is to overcome the increasing perception that China's entry into the WTO usurps Hong Kong's competitive advantage as a safe conduit into the mainland Chinese market. With WTO membership carrying with it measures to safeguard the interests of overseas investors, the general view is that the round about Hong Kong to China route is becoming less attractive than just going direct. Add to that continuing Japanese malaise and Hong Kong observers are absolutely correct to be cautious.

Indonesian newspapers today are reporting that Soeharto's old Golkar party ,which still wields major influence in the Indonesian parliament, has threatened to withdraw support for President Megawati should she back moves to investigate the present Golkar leader. It is a serious threat underlining that like Abdurraham Wahid (Gus Dur), the real power brokers in Indonesia view her as an interim president before they get their own act together. In fact they placed Gus Dur and Megawati in their positions in the trust that they would not make any serious decisions before the big boys got in. That was part of Gus Dur's undoing, upsetting power brokers with controversial decisions relating to ethnic Chinese rights and Israel. It will be interesting to see how Mega deals with this one.

Taiwan's Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party scored an unexpected solid victory in parliamentary elections over the weekend. The opposition Nationalist party, Chen's predecessor in givernment saw their seats reduce from 110 to just 68 seats, even though two new parties, formed by refugees from the Nationalists performed well on debut.

Today (Monday), as Japan and Hong Kong stocks move sharply lower, the Taiwan stock market is moving up even sharper, with companies that supported Chen rallying the best - in particular the world computer brand ACER. Taiwan's major index is up almost 4% at Noon Hong Kong Time.However, don't expect this rally to continue for long. The economy is still suspect, and recovery, though assured, is still as substantially long way off. Maybe the first quarter next year will be a good time.

More significantly however, the election sees the second term for Chen, whose party showed their inexperience in their first term, mainly as a result of politics in Taiwan being dominated by the Nationalists since Chiang marched into the offshore island leading refugees from the Chinese revolution. Chen was never really able to operate effectively in his first term due to a legislature still controlled by the Nationalists, and also a slumping economy, hit badly as a major electronics exporter by a world export market slipping into recession. However he now has a chance to form an effective coalition less characterised by political feuding.

The most significant implication however is for Taiwan's relations with China. China has gone to great lengths not to hide their contempt for Chen. To the Chinese strength and power is everything, and they saw the relatively inexperienced and beleaguered Chen as a weak leader susceptible who only needed a few kicks in the gut from the mainland to push Taiwan into even further chaos. Yet Chen is also Chinese, with similar pragmatic and ambitious political skills to the new world-celebrity pollies in China. We have no doubt here, that the election result was significant, putting Chen on a much better footing to negotiate with China as well as the international community. Mainland Chinese leaders will have to pragmatically change their so-far superior and insulting communication strategy with Taiwan. Expect international business interest in Taiwan to increase in coming months and see Taiwan moving closer to smart people's radar.