theSun | THURSDAY JANUARY 29 2009 11

business Hang Seng

Closed
S&P/ASX200
3,495.50
TSEC
Closed
KLCI
879.63
STI
1,766
KOSPI
1,157.98
Nikkei
8,106
51.50 6.94 80.85 64.58 45.22

PTP remains Malaysia’s market summary

Share prices
end firmer
INDICES
FBMEMAS
COMPOSITE
JANUARY 28, 2009

CHANGE
5,765.94
879.63
+38.15
+6.9)

number one port

KUALA LUMPUR: The Port of
Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor
retained its status as the country’s
number one port handling 5.6 mil-
lion Twenty-foot Equivalent Units
(TEU) in throughput last year.
In a statement yesterday, its chief
executive officer Captain Ismail
Hashim said despite the global
economic slowdown, PTP still man-
aged to grow its “local” throughput
volume by approximately 43%, up
by 94,000 TEUs from 218,000 TEUs
recorded in 2007.
He attributed the growth in the
port’s local cargo throughput mainly
to increased shipping services avail-
able at PTP for import and export
as a result of new shipping lines
calling at the port.
Ismail said these included the
new services between PTP and
Australia, New Zealand and the
Philippines introduced by MISC
Bhd, when they moved their hub
from Singapore to PTP last year.
Besides the new services at PTP
brought about by the MISC hub shift,
2008 also saw a new service being
introduced at PTP linking Europe
and the Far East through German
shipping line Hapag Llyod.
“The various forms of shipping
line arrangements such as joint
services and slot exchange arrange-
ments between the different ship-
INDUSTRIAL 2,072.75 +16.49
SHARE prices on Bursa Malaysia CONSUMER PROD 283.25 +0.39
ended firmer in thin trading yesterday INDUSTRIAL PROD 66.67 +0.26
CONSTRUCTION 166.06 +1.39
amid continued nibbling on heavy- TRADING SERVICES 116.58 +0.96
weight counters, with sentiments FINANCE 6,868.93 +27.28
supported by overnight gains on Wall PROPERTIES 531.08 +2.03
Street, a dealer said. PLANTATIONS 4,332.05 +46.29
ping lines calling at PTP have made At close, the KLCI rose 6.94 points MINING 249.25 UNCH
it possible for local cargo owners to to 879.63. It opened 1.33 points higher FBMSHA 5,997.88 +52.38
move more cargo through PTP in at 874.2 from Friday’s close. FBM2BRD 3,956.15 +28.59
2008,” he noted. Dealers said most fund manag- TECHNOLOGY 12.81 -0.04
He said the reliable services pro- ers were away on holiday. The local TURNOVER VALUE
vided by PTP over the years has also bourse was closed on Jan 26 and 27 213.002mil RM268.227mil
increased the confidence level of for the Lunar New Year break.
existing customers such as Maersk “It is the external news that has
and Evergreen to introduce more fuelled the market today,” he said. up two sen to nine sen, Progressive Im-
service calls at PTP. Gainers outnumbered losers by pact jumped three sen to 46 sen, KNM
“Evergreen last year introduced 233 to 114, 142 counters were un- and UEM Land added 1.5 sen each to
a new Vietnam Service linking Ho changed, 735 counters were untraded 44 sen and 77.5 sen, respectively.
Chi Minh City in Vietnam and PTP and 30 others suspended. Among heavyweights, Sime Darby
whilst Maersk introduced a new Volume stood at 213.002 million added 15 sen to RM5.50, Tenaga
service linking Asia and the US shares worth RM268.227 million, down Nasional, Maybank, Public Bank
through their vessel sharing agree- from 277.133 million worth RM388.359 and MISC were flat at RM6, RM5.25,
ment with French shipping line million it registered last Friday. RM8.75 and RM8.40, respectively.
CMA CGM,” he said. – Bernama Actives, Evermaster Group inched – Bernama

BNM to issue Merdeka Hong Leong Islamic Bank Bhd are

briefs Savings Bond in March

P1 to unveil new
packages next month
KUALA LUMPUR: WiMAX telco,
Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn
Bhd (P1), will unveil new packages
comprising five new subscription plans
for its customers starting Feb 2.
P1 chief executive officer Michael
Lai said the new plans would replace
the current promotional packages and
end its free modem offer on Feb 1.
“It comprises three home plans
to meet the needs of personal users
and two office plans designed for
business,” he said in a statement
yesterday.
Lai said for the new plans on 12-
month contract, subscribers have
to pay a subsidised amount for the
WiMAX modem valued at RM999.
The P1 W1MAX service is now
available in selected parts of the
Klang Valley, Johor and Kedah.
The latest areas to have P1
W1MAX coverage this week include
parts of Jalan Kemajuan in Petaling
Jaya, Pandan Indah, Kota Kemun-
ing and Taman Bunga Negara, The
Summit, Damansara Height, Bandar
Puteri Puchong and Jinjang Utara and
Selatan. – Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara
Malaysia yesterday announced the
issuance of the Merdeka Savings
Bond amounting to RM1 billion on
March 18.
The central bank said in a state-
ment it would be the first issue of
the two series of three-year RM1
billion bond each this year.
The bond, scripless and based
on Syariah principles, is being of-
fered to Malaysian citizens who
are 56 years and above, as well
as individuals retired on medial
grounds regardless of age. Avail-
able from Feb 18 to March 17, the
bond offers a return of 5% per an-
num and provides the flexibility
for early redemption. – Bernama
RHB Bank and Hong
Leong Bank cut rates
KUALA LUMPUR: Following the
announcement by Bank Negara Ma-
laysia to lower its Overnight Policy
Rate (OPR) by 75 basis points to 2.5%
on Jan 21, several banks are revising
their lending and financing rates.
RHB Banking Group will be lower-
ing its Base Lending Rate (BLR) and
RHB Islamic Bank’s Base Financing
Rate (BFR) from 6.5% per annum to
5.95% per annum.
Hong Leong Bank Berhad and
also reducing their BLR and Islamic
Finance Rate (IFR) from 6.5% per an-
num to 5.95% per annum.
“We want to be able to provide
our customers with more financial
support in these challenging times,
and with this revision, both existing
and potential customers will be
able to manage their loans without
tightening their belts,” said RHB Group
managing director Michael J. Barnett
in a statement.
Hong Leong Bank Bhd said the
reduction of its BLR and IFR would
translate into lower costs of financing
for their customers and businesses,
as well as supporting the objective of
Bank Negara Malaysia in promoting
domestic economic activities.
Both banks announced that the
rate cut will be effective from Feb 3.
Yahoo! posts net loss
but beats expectations
SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! reported
a quarterly net loss on Tuesday but
the Internet pioneer beat analysts’
expectations on results which
were dragged down by restructur-
ing charges and writedowns.
The Internet pioneer reported a
net loss of US$303 million for the
fourth quarter of 2008 compared
with a net profit of US$206 million
for the same quarter a year earlier.
– AFP
CEO confidence
plunges to new low
KUALA LUMPUR: The confi-
dence of chief executive offic-
ers (CEOs) over future business
prospects has plunged to its
lowest level since 2003, bat-
tered by recession, says Price-
waterhouseCoopers (PwC).
PwC, in its 12th Annual
Global CEO Survey found that
just 21% of CEOs worldwide
United were very confident of rev-
ease enue growth over the next 12
months, down 50% from last
clear with year’s findings.
record Also, more than a quarter
show of the CEOs were pessimistic
about propects for the coming
pg 24 year, it said.
CEOs worldwide were also
gloomier about longer term
growth as well, predicting a
slow recovery.
It said only 34% were very
confident of growth over the
next three years, down from
42% last year, when CEOs were
just beginning to recognise the
full impact of the credit crisis
on the global economy.
Pessimism prevailed across
all geographic regions, business
sectors and levels of economic
development.
PwC’s global CEO Samuel
A. DiPiazza, Jr said the speed
and intensity of the recession
had rocked the psyche of CEOs
and created a global crisis of
confidence.
“CEOs are most concerned
about the immediate survival
of their companies.
“Even in once rapidly emerg-
ing economies, companies are
now coping with unavailable
credit, sluggish capital markets
and collapsing demand.”
He said the severity and
duration of the recession was
difficult to predict and CEOs
were balancing the challenge
of successfully managing
through the downturn while
also remaining prepared for a
turnaround.
The impact of recession in
the world’s major economies,
cited by 85% of survey respond-
ents worldwide, continued to
dominate concerns of CEOs
and was the only risk factor to
increase. – Bernama