MALAYSIAN PM ACKNOWLEDGES ECONOMY IN RECESSION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000418 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR - WEISEL AND BELL STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE AND EXIMBANK STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE SAN FRANCISCO TCURRAN SINGAPORE PASS TO SBAKER UNDOC FOR 4430/MAC/3AP/M.HOGGE TREASURY FOR OASIA AND IRS GENEVA FOR USTR E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2019 TAGS: ECON ETRD EFIN EINV PREL PGOV MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN PM ACKNOWLEDGES ECONOMY IN RECESSION IN 2009 REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 195 ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 318 ¶C. KUALA LUMPUR 380 Classified By: Economic Counselor Matthew J. Matthews for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Summary: Prime Minister Najib announced on May 28 a substantial downward revision in Malaysia's 2009 economic growth forecast to negative four to five percent. The new forecast comes a day after the central bank announced first quarter growth results of negative 6.2 percent. Both figures are significantly worse than earlier estimates by the private sector, which predicted a three to four percent contraction for the first quarter and a 1.5 percent contraction for 2009. Central Bank Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz had announced on May 27 that second quarter results would be "similar" to first, with some stabilization in the third quarter and positive growth returning in Q4. Najib cited the sharp drop in external demand and declining foreign direct investment as the key factors contributing to the revised 2009 forecast. Meanwhile, Malaysia's debt levels are rising, risking a downgrade by rating agencies. On May 28 Najib also announced the appointment of a prominent local banker as chair of a new Ministerial-level "National Economic Advisory Council" which will be tasked with advising the PM on the development of a "New Economic Model." End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: The published forecasts of private sector bank analysts tend not to stray too far from those of the central bank, partly in recognition that the central bank has better access to data, and partly not to offend their regulator and licensing agency, according to one contact. While private sector economists acknowledge that reforms to date will have little immediate economic impact, some are optimistic that Najib will enact significant economic reforms to make Malaysia more competitive globally. Even with such reforms, however, economists believe that Malaysia will shift to a lower growth path going forward, making its goal of becoming a developed country by 2020 difficult. The economic stimulus packages announced over the past several months have yet to be felt on the ground, with spending slower than expected. This slower stimulus spending likely will push recovery from the third quarter to the fourth and into 2010. Economists undoubtedly will revise their forecasts downward, aligning them more closely with official forecasts. End summary and comment. TURNAROUND NOW EXPECTED IN 4TH QUARTER ¶3. (U) The Malaysian economy contracted by 6.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009 according to Bank Negara (the Malaysian central bank),a far bleaker result than most analysts had earlier forecast. This contraction is expected to continue in Q2 with some stabilization in the Q3 and positive growth returning in Q4, according to Central Bank Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz. The Bank's new estimate for GDP for 2009 envisions a contraction of four to five percent, adjusted from the -1 to 1 percent range that has been the official forecast since February. Private sector analysts, on average, had predicted a contraction of 1.52 percent for 2009 and 3.2 percent growth for 2010; however, these forecasts will undoubtedly be revised downward in light of the newly announced negative figures. ¶4. (U) The sharp drop in external demand, particularly from the U.S. and European markets, was the biggest contributor to the first quarter decline in the export-dependent Malaysian economy, with manufactured exports dropping by 18 percent and commodity exports by 23.8 percent. Private consumption declined by 0.7 percent but domestic demand was boosted by a 2.1 percent increase in public consumption. All sectors were down except construction which rose 0.6 percent due mainly to in increase in construction of office space and high-end residential properties. PM Najib pointed to the decline in foreign direct investment as another key factor in the 2009 forecast. KUALA LUMP 00000418 002 OF 004 ZETI ON RECESSION QUESTION ¶5. (U) During a press conference in conjunction with her May 27 release of first quarter figures, Governor Zeti said the second quarter "would be similar to the first," but when asked whether Malaysia was in a recession, she responded that "it was more constructive to see if Malaysia could come out of the economic downturn," according to press reports. "We are not in a financial crisis, while the household and business sectors are not over-leveraged. We also have stability in the labor market, commodities market and stock market, which together with the decline in inflation will improve purchasing power, plus the measures will support the prospects for a positive growth into the final quarter and into 2010," Zeti said. DOUBLE THE CONTRACTION, BUT ONLY HALF THE SHOCK ¶6. (C) On May 29, Econoff asked Mr. Hardeep Singh, Senior Assistant VP and Head of Research for Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Malaysia, why private sector analysts had predicted only half the contraction cited in the just-released official figures. Singh explained that analysts at both foreign and local banks alike were reluctant to diverge too far from Bank Negara's estimates because they did "not want to offend their regulator and licensing agency." He said it was "difficult to go against Bank Negara" which he described as "strongly controlling the banks." Singh explained that during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, some private analysts had published worst-case scenario figures which had been picked up by global ratings agencies. Since then, there was an "unwritten consensus among the members of the forecasting community" that "the real figures were not what was published." ¶7. (C) While Bank of Tokyo does not publish forecasts, they do consult privately with clients and provide a range of forecasts. Even Bank of Tokyo Malaysia's unpublished "real figure" had been a contraction of 3 to 3.5 percent for 2009, said Singh, admitting that Najib's 4 to 5 percent contraction forecast had come as a bit of a shock. While Bank of Tokyo conducts internal surveys among its customers, that is no substitute for data accessible by Bank Negara, which "tracks the figures in real time" and only releases the data a month later, he said. Also, the stimulus packages are being implemented more slowly than expected, Singh explained, and their impact might not be as strong as what the GOM hopes for even now. Singh pointed out that, according to a May 29 press report, PM Najib was considering a third economic stimulus package if necessary, although no details had been released. Bank of Tokyo Malaysia's internal surveys had shown an upturn in orders for manufactured goods in April and May, but Singh's initial projection for 2010 would be at 1.5 percent, even with the 2009 figures as a low base. "The economy will pick up, but it won't pick up that much," he said. WHERE FROM HERE ¶8. (SBU) The grim economic news may be good news for economic reform, according to Lee Heng Guie (protect),Head of Economic Research for CIMB, a prominent local bank headed by the PM's brother. Lee told Econcouns on May 27 that he was confident that Malaysia would move forward with more economic reforms. ¶9. (SBU) Suhaimi Ilias, Chief Economist and Vice President for Equity Markets at Maybank Investment Bank (protect), expressed similar sentiments. "The Prime Minister is trying to do the right thing for the economy and not focusing on politics," he told EconCouns and visiting Finatt recently, pointing out that major projects in opposition-controlled states were going forward, something that would have been less likely under former PM Abdullah. While the GOM could finance large deficits in the short run to try to stimulate the economy, this would not be sustainable in the long term. KUALA LUMP 00000418 003 OF 004 The only way to rejuvenate the Malaysian economy and compete in the global marketplace was to open up, and the PM knew it, he said. ¶10. (SBU) Suhaimi saw no immediate impact in the liberalizations announced to date (reftels),but was encouraged that things were moving in the right direction and hoped this was a sign of more liberalizations to come in the next two to three years. Nevertheless, even when the current crisis ended and economic growth returned, Suhaimi did not see growth levels returning to previous levels within the next several years. MALAYSIA'S FISCAL PICTURE ¶11. (SBU) Malaysian debt levels were 38 to 39 percent of GDP and likely would increase to 50 to 55 percent over the next two years, Suhaimi thought. The GOM's reliance on Petronas, the national oil company, for 40 percent of its federal budget was worrisome, especially in light of Malaysia's tapering oil reserves and increasing domestic demand for petroleum, which further decreases export revenues. There was no political will to implement a value added tax, he said, and the GOM was unlikely to cut its expenditures. The GOM was looking for off-balance sheet solutions that did not have to be included in the 2010 budget. BIGGEST ECONOMIC WORRIES? ¶12. (SBU) Asked what his biggest worries were for the Malaysian economy, Suhaimi said first, that Malaysia's fiscal situation could lead to a downgrade by ratings agencies; second, that while public expenditures could boost the economy in the second half of 2009, he wondered "if the baton could be passed from the public to the private side"; and third, that continued weak external demand could drive export-dependent Malaysia into a deeper and more prolonged recession. In the long run, Malaysia needed a new growth model, beginning with investing in people. Only by developing the country's human resources could Malaysia hope to become a developed country, he said. PM PRESSING FORWARD ON "NEW ECONOMIC MODEL" ¶13. (C) In a May 21 meeting with EconCouns, Ms. Yap Siew Hong, Advisor, and Ms. Sazalina Kamaruddin, Principal Assistant Director of the Economic Council Secretariat in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department said PM Najib was committed to developing a "New Economic Model." The PM chairs a weekly meeting "driving forward" a process by which regulations and policies were being examined, papers were being written, and implementation was "ongoing." Sazalina explained that the group was "looking at a few hundred services sub-sectors" in addition to the 27 liberalized last month. While she could not go into detail, she said it was only a matter of which protected sectors would be liberalized next. "The current growth model is unsustainable," she said, explaining that Malaysia would need to bring its policies in line with its agreements within ASEAN and with its FTA partners. While the reforms would be phased in sequentially in order to "manage the shocks," she said it would be "worth watching over the next couple of months." COUNCIL BEING FORMED TO ADVISE ON "NEW ECONOMIC MODEL" ¶14. (U) PM Najib announced on May 28 the appointment of Amirsham Abdul Aziz, former CEO of Maybank, to chair a new "National Economic Advisory Council" to advise the GOM on a "new national economic model." The Chair will be a Ministerial-level position; Najib will appoint eight to twelve economists and one or two sociologists to the council, according to press reports. Not to be confused with the National Economic "Action" Council established in 1997 to manage the Asian Financial Crisis (recently re-branded as the "Economic Secretariat" at the EPU),the new NEAC will focus on "medium to long-term measures to strengthen the economy." KUALA LUMP 00000418 004 OF 004 Najib announced that the Economic Secretariat would "continue to handle short term and daily operations." KEITH