Indeed, manufacturing based on American dollars is doing well and crude oil price has risen from US$12 to US38 per barrel—a record in the last decade.Some predict that the economy will grow at 7% or more.

No matter what the Prime Minister says, some sectors such as retailed trade or even the property and construction sectors are down. Apparently, these sectors are feeling the real effects of the 1997 economic crisis. The slump in rubber and palm oil price affects people badly.

Although the Government approves petrol pump price increase and warns of price hype in other goods, the consumers are wary. The Government does not monitor prices effectively.

The Government encourages the local car market. But, the latter is not doing that well. The Government has to improve its measures in all sectors.

Other factors that make people anxious include capital control. While it has been a way of getting out of the economic crisis since July 1997, some investors are wary of it. The pegging of ringgit, RM, to US dollars, US$, 1 US$ to RM3.8, favours exports of some maufactured goods. But, RM is undervalued. How long can we continue? The international financial architecture continues to have flaws--rapacious currency speculators can still damage economy of smaller nations. What strategy do we have to handle these flaws? How do we attract more investors to Malaysia?