Semi-conductor: Premature optimism or pessimism?

The Star report reproduced last Wednesday had an Analyst gloated confidently about the tariff agreed by MITI negotiators with the US counterpart:

After intense negotiations, a trade pact was agreed, cutting the effective US tariff on Malaysian goods to 19 % – effective this month.

For now, semiconductors that fall under Section 232 and pharmaceuticals remain exempt.

Wong said for the technology sector, some companies will be able to pivot quickly in light of any new development coming from tariffs.

“It will solely depend on the sub sector and the companies whether they are chip makers, artificial intelligence, or automotive for example.

Although most of the sosmed commentators, including Dr Mahathir, complained the keypoints seemed to be in favour of US, there were those who could see through the ploy used to convince the Americans.

It was an attempt to tell the Americans that the private sector are correcting the trade surplus, including the already ordered 30 Boeing jets plus additional 30 for MAS. 

Alas, the American are dead set with their on-shoring plan and Trump announced on Wednesday American time that 100% tariff will be imposed on imported semi-conductors:

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Impact of Trump tariff on selective sectors

Tariffs unlikely to shake domestic industries 

By LYDIA NATHAN

ECONOMY 

Star Online Wednesday, 06 Aug 2025

PETALING JAYA: Domestically-driven sectors and ones that depend mostly on internal demand will likely be able to sustain their earnings despite volatilities of trade and impending tariffs.

Areca Capital Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Danny Wong said such sectors including banks, data centre-related companies and those dealing with construction, utilities and even land sales, will fare better.

“These sectors could likely outperform the ones that are affected by external factors like tariffs.

“These may settle down once tariffs are finalised or when news of it becomes stale eventually,” he told StarBiz.

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Bangladesh interest to join ASEAN

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar called on Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka last Sunday. In the meeting, Yunus sought Malaysia's support for Bangladesh to join ASEAN. 

Nurul is not his first as Yunos had earlier met and sought for Dr Mahathir's support. Though he has reservation over geography and the idea of ASEAN becoming a second United Nation, Mahathir was supportive of the present engagement with Bangladesh as dialogue partner or observer status in ASEAN Plus.     

For almost a year, Bangladesh have been lobbying the original founding members of ASEAN, namely Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia. So the snide political remarks made towards Nurul is unfair and ill informed.  

Strategic value

Bangladesh is more part of South Asia than South East Asia, but it borders Myanmar at the south and  part of the Bay of Bengals. It offers maritime and overland access to India’s Northeast, and China, which would be valuable to ASEAN’s connectivity agenda.

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PN need more than one "Himpunan Turun Anwar"

As usual after any rally, the post-"Himpunan Turun Anwar" (HAT) discussion evolved around the estimated numbers attended. 

Police put an estimate of between 10 to 15,000 before the demonstration. The number is likely to be larger with Reuters reporting at 18,000. While organising PAS leaders claimed between 300,000 to as high as 500,000, 30,000 is more logical.

To cut the argument short, its acknowledged that the turnout was credible. It is not as much as the 2019 ICERD rally, nevertheless it was a good turnout from the East Coast states of PAS. However, the takeaway of any political rally should be whether it achieved any deliverables. 

More so, social media went viral over demonstrators inability to answer the simple straightforward but pertinent question of who the opposition Perikatan Nasional's choice to replace the Anwar to "turun". 

Indication points to the attendants' present were neither motivated by any justifiable cause not up-to-date on current political issues and the supporters were just there doing their bit for the party.    

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Suddenly Jho Low is convenienty in the news ....

How timely that in the heat of the Najib Addendum issue, in which 160 UMNO Division Heads gathered to demand for Najib's SRC sentence commuted to house arrest following the admittance in court by the AG Chambers lawyer that Agong's Addendum exist, suddenly the Wall Street Journal reporters claimed Jho Low is hiding out in Shanghai?

The last time something similar happened was during the 1MDB-Tanore case against Najib, in which suddenly Jasmine Looi appeared and made her appearance in court as witness for the prosecution. 

In exchange, she was absolved from being charged for collaborating with Jho Low just like all those complicits of Jho Low that became witnesses in the SRC trials. Too many and too obvious the compromise by AGC to "fix" on Najib. 

At the same time, it raised the suspicion of Facebooker Salahuddin Hisham that it is beyond the eyes could see:

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Late Bigdog's bite on Sime 16 years ago

My late buddy and practically blood brother Allahyarham Zakhir Mohamed initiated an expose on Sime Darby 16 years ago entitled: Sime Scandal?" with regard to Sime Engineering on February 5th 2009. 

By May 2010, Zakhir managed to pressure the then Chairman, statesman, and fellow Johorean Tun Musa Hitam into a corner till Sime Darby could not wiggle themselves out of the corporate blue blood embarassment of announcing the absence of leave for Group CEO Dato’ Seri Ahmad Zubir Mursyid.

After 15 months of barking, Zakhir practically slaughtered Sime Darby. Another Brick in the Wall was barking along through the time. [Go to the blog via VPN and search for "Sime Darby Qatar".] Rocky Bru too. The good ole days of blogging.

Yesterday July 14th, 2025, and 15 years later and after his demise in 2022, hope Zakhir could proudly say in heaven up there, "I was right!" He did good and Zubir and the gang lost a civil lawsuit and had to return back public money lost. 

Edge Online reported:

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Still open for negotiation after July 9th?

The deadline set by Donald Trump for countries to renegotiate on his Liberation Day tariff regime was  July 9th. but thus far, only UK and with some threat, Vietnam finalised deals. 

None of the 200 deals he claimed secured upon his tariff announcements signed any deal as the deadline draws near. 

He indiscriminately imposed tariff on few countries with Malaysia set at the 24% on the same level with US major partners - Japan and South Korea. 

Naturally Malaysian officials and businesses cannot ignore such threat. 

Minister Johari Gani is concerned with importers in the US for Malaysian oleochemicals and primary commodities such as rubber gloves, wood, furniture, and coco. Penang's semiconductor could be hit hard. 

It seemed as though he mean business, and manufacturers and firms are urging government to continue talk with US. Trump picked on our halal requirements the American could not fulfill and Bumiputera policy.

However, commentators are of the view that Trump's tariff plan is failing and not getting the desired response. 

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