It's not the car, it's not the house. It's the love and support, the ups and downs we share.

CURANG?

(Foto animasi hiasan - Sumber foto : blog : affatutulasror93)

Maafkan saya, hari ini saya ingin mengenengahkan satu 'taboo' yang jarang dibincangkan secara mendalam di kalangan ramai antara kita di Malaysia - 'kecurangan lelaki dan wanita dalam perhubungan'. Tidaklah niat saya untuk mengaibkan sesiapa cuma sekadar ingin meluahkan perasaan. Saya juga bukanlah seorang pakar psikologi atau seorang ustaz - cuma sekadar berkongsi pengalaman dari pemerhatian sebagai 'orang tua' serta seorang manusia yang juga tidak sunyi dari kesilapan.

Semua lelaki atau wanita yang berlaku curang terhadap pasangan mereka samada suami atau isteri, teman lelaki atau wanita, tunang dsb. adalah; antara lain; ialah kerana perasaan 'ingin mencuba perasaan cinta sekali lagi, perhubungan yang intim, ingin merasa muda, dsb.' Faktor ini disebut oleh satu tinjuan psikologi sebagai manusia yang 'tidak mempunyai kepuasan emosi'

Saya tidak bersetuju dengan pendapat menyatakan hanya mangsa dari kaum Hawa sahaja yang akan mendapat kesan dan trauma yang mendalam, begitu juga dengan kaum Adam - cuma orang lelaki lebih pandai menyembunyikan perasaan kekecewaan dan sedih. Bagi mereka yang telah mempunyai zuriat, maka fahamilah bahawa anak-anak juga mengalami trauma (mungkin melihat pertengkaran atau menjadi mangsa setelah perceraian) serta mungkin akan terpengaruh dengan unsur negatif (dalam proses mereka membesar) yang ditunjukkan oleh ibubapanya.

Namun, seorang lelaki atau wanita yang curang dikatakan masih ada perasaan bersalah dalam perbuatannya kerana masih ada sekelumit rasa sayang dan prihatin (tetapi bukan perasaan 'cinta') dengan isteri atau suami mereka atau teman lelaki atau perempuan atau tunang mereka.

Ada kategori tidak kira lelaki yang wanita yang sukakan kecurangan berulang-kali kerana ianya kononnya merupakan satu 'new adventure' ('penerokaaan baru' kata mereka) - ini tidak perlu kita sentuh lagi kerana mereka seperti ini orang yang 'tidak berperasaan' lagi atau memegang prinsip "kita masih muda, enjoy life while you can"  Golongan ini beranggapan 'boleh berbuat apa sahaja' atas nama 'kebebasan'.

Islam menetapkan seseorang suami boleh berpoligami sekiranya berkemampuan atau ada masalah kawalan nafsu. Tetapi hukum ini telah banyak disalahgunakan sebagai alasan untuk berlaku curang terlebih dahulu atau punyai 'duit' dahulu, baharu berkahwin lagi. (ada yang terlupa bahawa, jika tidak dapat berlaku adil, memadailah dengan 'seorang' sahaja) Tetapi peliknya - yang mempunyai  'duit berlebihan' menyebabkan mereka akan "cuba menggunakan kedudukan, pengaruh serta kemewahan" mereka bagi "melakukan maksiat". Masalah ini kini sudah menjadi satu parasit.

Lebih mengejutkan lagi ialah mereka yang 'tidak berduit' pun sanggup 'mengumpulkan duit' untuk melakukan maksiat. Ada yang telah putus asa dan mendengar bisikan "kalau dah jahat, tidak ada harapan lagi untuk menjadi baik - 'baiklah' terus menjadi jahat". (Harapan masih ada!)

Bagi yang sedang mengalami kebahagiaan dalam rumah tangga, ada pula yang menjadi mangsa cemburu dari yang orang lain yang memerhatikan suasana kebahagiaan berkenaan. Maka ada pula yang sengaja ingin merosakkan kebahagiaan berkenaan kerana 'mereka tidak bahagia' dan mempunyai sifat dendam. Bukanlah satu perkara yang pelik di alaf ini ada yang 'menggunakan ilmu sihir' yang diharamkan Islam.

Menjadi satu paradoks bila bercakap mengenai perasaan. Seseorang yang ditangkap oleh Pencegah Maksiat atau dicekup ahli keluarga - tiba-tibamenangis dan menyesal serta bersumpah untuk 'menjadi orang baik' atau 'orang alim' atau 'perasaan ingin kembali menjaga isteri dan anak-anak atau menjaga suami dan anak-anak - jika diberikan peluang sekali lagi.  Sebenarnya perasaan seperti ini bukan boleh dikategorikan sebagai 'satu penyesalan' tetapi lebih kepada escapist  kerana bila 'tersepit' - baru ingat 'nak jadi baik' - masa 'nakal' tu, terlupa pula  (tidak dinafikan, ada juga yang benar-benar berubah selepas peristiwa ini)

Apa yang lebih menyedihkan apabila seseorang yang dianggap alim, warak, pengamal perubatan tradisional dsb. juga didapati melakukan perkara-perkara maksiat ke atas pesakit atau mereka yang meminta nasihat dari mereka. Ada yang mengambil peluang ke atas kelemahan dan keretakan perhubungan atau rumahtangga orang lain. Ini adalah satu bentuk pengkhianatan dan akan merosakkan kepercayaan orang lain sehingga menganggap tiada lagi wujud 'keikhlasan' dalam dunia ini.

Ada juga yang tertanya-tanya, kenapa 'orang alim' atau 'tok bomoh' sanggup melakukan maksiat, membuat pencabulan seperti itu dan seolah-olah 'menghalalkan' pula perbuatan berkenaan (boleh buat 'tak tau').

Jawapannya sangat mudah : apabila seseorang itu merasa dirinya 'besar', banyak 'ilmu', banyak dipuji, ramai pengikutnya - ianya akan membawanya; dalam perspektif Islam; kepada penyakit hati yang bernama 'riak' atau 'ujub' - maka dia akan lupa pada ajaran agama sebenar, asal-usulnya, pembimbingnya (atau hanya belajar 'ikut buku') dan beranggapan semua yang ada pada dirinya adalah milik mutlaknya  maka dia akan lupa pada Penciptanya. Mereka ini hanya menjadi 'baik' secara 'tidak ikhlas' (di hadapan khalayak ramai)

Faktor internet dan media sosial  walaupun mempunyai banyak kebaikan, tetapi juga lebih banyak keburukannya terutamanya pada anak-anak muda dari kalangan murid-murid dan pelajar - dengan mudahnya mendapat capaian kepada bahan-bahan pornografi dan lucah. Bayangkan kerosakan yang akan berlaku jika tiada kawalan dan beranggapan 'tahulah mereka menjaga diri'.

Saya tidak menyanggah mereka yang ingin menjalankan perniagaan dan produk berkaitan dengan 'ubat kuat' atau 'kuat tenaga batin', tetapi dicadangkan satu kawalan diadakan ke atas perniagaan seperti ini kerana bimbang dibeli dan disalahgunakan oleh mereka yang bujang dan belum berkahwin. 

Ini belum lagi kita menyentuh masalah sumbang mahram yang seperti tidak ada pengakhirannya.

Semua yang disebutkan di atas sangat menakutkan sekiranya tidak dibendung dengan cara yang betul; mampu merosakkan institusi kekeluargaan dan keturunan dengan lahirnya zuriat yang hasilnya daripada perhubungan haram, kadar perceraian yang tinggi, dendam-mendendam, secara generiknya juga menyumbang kepada kenaikan kadar jenayah.

Ada yang akan menyatakan pada saya "Ini akhir zaman"..."Kembalilah pada ajaran agama" - sememangnya mudah pada kita untuk mengeluarkan kenyataan berkenaan tetapi kebanyakan dari kita sendiri hanya tahu bercakap dan tidak tahu berbuat apa-apa.

Dilema dan fenomena ini perlu dilihat bukan dari satu sudut sahaja, ianya perlu dilihat dari banyak sudut lain. Antara sabjek yang boleh disentuh ialah Disiplin diri, cara didikan, penyemaian semula kasih sayang, berdoa, berikhtiar dsb.

Adalah diakui, manusia sememangnya tidak sempurna tetapi jika berulang-kali malah ratusan dan ribuan kali, maka 'ketidaksempurnaan' juga adalah halwa mulut dan untuk 'menyedapkan hati'.

Tidaklah saya ingin berbicara panjang mengenai hal ini. 

Berikanlah perhatian kepada isteri dan anak-anak kita serta orang-orang yang tersayang.

Tips :

a) Selalulah ada riadhah, cuti (bukan semestinya 'jauh-jauh') dan aktiviti bersama dengan isteri, suami dan anak-anak. Adakan juga pertemuan keluarga - carilah ahli keluarga atau orang yang boleh dipercayai - yang boleh diminta nasihat apabila bermasalah.

b) Tidaklah salah jika kita selalu menyebut kepada isteri atau suami kita "saya menyintaimu" dalam apa-apa bahasa dan loghat sekalipun. Carilah tempat-tempat atau lokasi yang memberikan kenangan manis.

c) Bahagikan dan jadualkanlah masa dengan baik - jangan selalu menggunakan perkataan "saya sibuk ni!!" kerana bila kita kehilangan orang yang kita sayang - menyesal pun sudah tidak guna lagi. 

d) Jangan 'terasa' bila orang muda memanggil kita yang pertengahan umur sebagai  'Pakcik' atau 'Makcik'. Anggapkan itu satu perasaan hormat walaupun mungkin ada yang cuba 'sarkastik' atau 'perli' - Ya...mungkin juga untuk 'mengingatkan kita bahawa 'jadi muda' itu bukan untuk selama-lamanya!) 

e) Isteri dan suami jangan lekas 'bersalah-sangka' apabila tiba-tiba ada yang ingin 'menjaga kecantikan' atau 'ingin berdiet/menurunkan berat badan' - kerana menjaga kecantikan, kebersihan diri dan menurunkan berat badan adalah sebahagian daripada resipi rumahtangga yang bahagia.

f) Elakkan meluahkan perasaan menerusi media sosial secara terbuka kerana kadangkala padahnya sangat buruk dalam tempoh jangkamasa yang panjang.

Saya amat memahami perasaan kita semua yang rata-rata dilanda dugaan dalam mencari rezeki dan betapa sukarnya untuk memberikan perhatian apabila terpaksa 'mencari duit'. Namun, janganlah digunakan ini sebagai alasan untuk mengeruhkan lagi keadaan atau alasan untuk berpisah. Jangan jatuhkan nilai perhubungan yang baik dan mendakwa 'tidak ada lagi kebahagiaan dalam hidup'.

Saya doakan anda semua bahagia! Dan diharapkan pembaca juga mendoakan saya sama!

Artikel ini dibuka untuk komen umum. Sila jaga penggunaan bahasa anda semasa memberikan komen. Jika terlalu peribadi untuk dikongsi atau berminat untuk sesi motivasi dan kaunseling, sila e-mail ke nikzafri@gmail.com 

FALSAFAH PERNIAGAAN - SOALJAWAB MENGENAI PENGURUSAN KEWANGAN - BERSAMA NIK ZAFRI

Salam Tuan Nik,

Soalan berkaitan dengan falsafah perniagaan. Saya pernah jumpa satu teori atau method dalam pengurusan perniagaan yang menyatakan bahawa "pengurusan perniagaan itu adalah pengurusan RM (ringgit malaysia) dan MASA (time). keberuntungan perniagaan itu bergantung kepada kecekapan usahawan itu mengurus RM dan MASA secara berkesan"

Saya ingin mendapat pandangan Tuan Nik terhadap pernyataan di atas.

Jika boleh, Tuan Nik tolong berikan panduan bagaimanakah yang dikatakan mengurus RM dan MASA yang berkesan.

Ini kerana seringkali kita dapati ada usahawan yang mengalami masalah kekurangan modal kerja dalam menjalankan perniagaannya. Malah ada juga usahawan yang gagal memenuhi pesanan pelanggan dalam tempoh ditetapkan.

Diharapkan Tuan Nik dapat memberi panduan bagaimana nak mula mengurus RM dan MASA ini, aspek kawalan yang boleh diamalkan serta bagaimana nak mengukur keberkesanan pengurusan RM dan MASA yang telah dijalankan.

Jawapan

Salam saudara

Sebenarnya saudara merujuk kepada Time Value of Money.

Ianya bukanlah satu falsafah perniagaan tetapi suatu disiplin yang agak piawai terutamanya pada perniagaan yang melibatkan kewangan/perbankan - namun boleh juga digunakan (di mana berkenaan) pada mana-mana bentuk perniagaan sekalipun.

Kalau nak bercakap pasal ni..aduh..panjang ler...lagipun saya lebih mudah memahami dan menerangkan dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Antara lain sila rujuk artikel dari Wiki

Ini adalah formula yang hampir sama saya gunakan. Maaflah, bukan tak nak jawab - tapi sukar nak 'translate'.

Sebenarnya topik ini sangat kompleks lebih-lebih lagi apabila kita mengaitkannya dengan pengurusan masa. Topik pengurusan masa ini bergantung kepada persekitaran kita umpamanya (sekadar menyebut beberapa contoh) Semasa bekerja dan selepas persaraan, Pengurusan Projek Pengurusan Perniagaan dll. Ianya juga bergantung di atas suasana ekonomi semasa.

Berikut adalah sebab-sebab antara kenapa perancangan wang kita gagal (terutamanya di Malaysia) tidak kira samada entiti itu sebuah syarikat atau sebuah keluarga atau individu

Kita kadangkala tidak merancang perbelanjaan dengan betul dan akhirnya kita sering bertanya "Ke mana perginya wang yang kita ada?" kerana rasa sepertinya 'wang itu seperti air mengalir' sentiasa kehabisan. :

1) Keutamaan perbelanjaan - apakah perbelanjaan yang biasa dilakukan - apakah sasaran jangkapanjang dan jangkapendek - sentiasa menyemak perbelanjaan dan tidak berbelanja atas barangan/perkara yang tidak diperlukan.

2) Tiada simpanan atau rizab - kalau nak dikira setiap entiti perlu ada sekurang-kurangnya 30-50% daripada pendapatan/keuntungan tahunan (bergantung kepada kes)

Caranya ialah mempunyai tabiat yang baik dalam perbelanjaan. Ini akan membantu kos kontigensi atau semasa kita kecemasan. Margin simpanan ini penting kerana ianya akan memberikan rasa selamat dan jiwa yang tenang.

3) Terlalu banyak hutang - walaupun kredit diakui dapat membantu kita semasa kecemasan (bergantung kepada cara kita menggunakannya) tetapi kredit juga boleh menjatuhkan seseorang atau sebuah organisasi menjadi terikat kepada pembayaran yang tinggi walaupun secara berperingkat. Jika terlepas satu atau dua bayaran, kemungkinan boleh membawa kepada kemuflisan.

4) Bonus, pulangan dsb. - jika mendapat pulangan cukai, atau mendapat bonus atau kenaikan gaji atau mungkin mewarisi harta, kebanyakan dari kita atau syarikat suka membelanjakan wang secara mewah dan akhirnya duit sebanyak mana pun boleh kehabisan.

5) Tiada perancangan 'overhead' - ini juga antara sebab terbesar apabila mengabaikan

a) pembayaran 'installment' tidak kira apa juga aset - tambahan pula kos penyelenggaraan untuk aset-aset ini juga tidak diambilkira, (jika kos penyelenggaraan diabaikan, besar kemungkinan aset kita akan cepat rosak dan akhirnya kos pembaikan malah susutnilai juga sangat tinggi - di sinilah kita akan mengalami kerugian), selain itu - pembayaran bil air, elektrik dll juga perlu diambilkira.

Saya pernah melihat beberapa organisasi yang sengaja melambat-lambatkan pembayaran gaji atau 'progress payment' samada untuk 'rolling' dahulu (ini kira ok la gak) atau lebih teruk, ambil dulu - tutup 'lubang lain'.

Ini juga berkaitan dengan penstrukturan kredit (Debt Restructuring)- bukan sahaja organisasi malah individu.

6) 'Nett & Gross' - kadangkala kita tidak terfikir bahawa 'bersih' dan 'kasar' adalah berbeza. Kita sering terfikir yang besar (gross) dan akhirnya kita hanya mendapat tersangat kurang dari nilai yang kita harap-harapkan.

Walaupun kita bukan akauntan sekalipun, kita perlu juga tahu asas perakaunan.

Jika kita bakal mendapat wang bayaran dsb., kira dahulu apa yang perlu dibayar (payable) - contohnya hutang/kredit/installment dsb., malah saya sendiri pun mengira caj bank ke atas contohnya cek outstation, pemindahan wang menggunakan sistem perbankan talian atau ATM, dll., kadar faedah pinjaman atau gadaian dsb. (mortgage & leasing), liabiliti dll., gaji pekerja/kakitangan dll.

Inilah yang bahayanya - kita rasa kita akan dapat RM1 juta, tetapi sebenarnya selepas ditolak, sebenarnya bahagian kita hanyalah RM500,000.00

7) Sikap tidak sabar menanti - perkara ini berlaku kerana terpengaruh dengan rakan-rakan, organisasi yang bersaing dengan kita, iklan media dll.

IT HAS BEGUN

(1)

The World’s Richest People Lost Another $124 Billion on Monday

The global rout continues 

Tom Metcalf

August 25, 2015 — 6:10 AM MYT

Another $124 billion was wiped off the collective fortunes of the world’s 400 richest people today as the global selloff pushed the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index into its first correction in nearly four years.

Twenty-four billionaires saw their wealth fall by more than ten figures on Monday, including Bill Gates who dropped $3.2 billion and Jeff Bezos, who fell $2.6 billion, according to data compiled by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Mexico's Carlos Slim lost $1.6 billion as his fortune fell to its lowest level since the Index began in 2012.Sliding markets worldwide have resulted in Chinese shares sinking the most since 2007, Germany's DAX falling into a bear market, and commodities reaching a 16-year low, as Brent crude plunged below $45 a barrel.

Last week’s declines had already seen the world’s 400 richest people lose $182 billion. A decline of $76 billion on Friday had put their fortunes into the red for the year-to-date.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index takes measure of the world’s wealthiest people based on market and economic changes and Bloomberg News reporting. Each net-worth figure is updated every business day at 5:30 p.m. in New York and listed in U.S. dollars.

2.

The Independent - UK

News>Business>Business News>Frontpage

FTSE 100 loses £104 billion in value in one day as China stock slide prompts global selloff

HAZEL SHEFFIELD

Monday 24 August 2015

The FTSE 100 shed £104 billion at its lowest point on Monday, after severe losses in Chinese markets prompted a global sell-off.

Monday’s bloodbath marked the tenth day of consecutive losses on the FTSE 100, the longest straight period of decline since 2003. The index has lost around £218 billion in value in that time.

Many expected the Chinese government to take measures such as cutting interest rates or injecting liquidity to stop further losses after the Shanghai Composite Index fell nearly 12 per cent last week. No action prompted further losses of 9 per cent on Monday.

Since August 11, $5 trillion has been been wiped off global markets after China unexpectedly devalued the yuan.

The Dow Jones also plummeted more than 1000 points on opening Monday, before rebounding slightly. The S&P 500, another US stock market index, dropped 99 points, or 5 per cent.

While plunging stock indices were attributed to lack of action in Beijing, Monday’s selloff follows months of poor data. Last week, activity in Chinese factories was shown to have dropped sharply.

Declining commodity prices continue to weigh oil giants. Glencore, Shell and Rio Tinto, which are all listed on the FTSE 100, suffered the worst declines on Monday.

(3) 

$10 Trillion Gone UPDATE: Actually It Was More Like $3 Trillion

Matt Vespa | Aug 24, 2015

Editor's Note: It was originally reported that $10 trillion had been erased, but it's been revised to $3 trillion.  The post has been updated.

Monday got off to a disastrous start for the world economy.

The Dow Jones plunged 1000 points–or 6.5 percent–upon the opening bell thanks to the volatile economic situation in China.

As Cortney wrote earlier today, the market recovered roughly half of its losses by the time trading was suspended for the day.

The New York Times compiled the butcher’s bill–and it was quite steep. $3 trillion was erased from the global stock market since the June 3 peak, the Chinese Shanghai Index lost all of the gains it has made this year, European stocks dropped 5 percent or more, and the U.S. S&P 500 closed four percent down.

At the same time, many analysts knew a recalibration of our bull market bearings was due. Right now, all eyes are on government policy:

“Everything is going to be dictated by government policy,” said Kevin Kelly, the chief investment officer of Recon Capital Partners.

“Whatever noise is coming from policy makers is going to determine the next couple weeks."

”The conversation about government policy is playing into a broader debate about the global economy’s ability to continue growing without the sort of extraordinary stimulus that has become the norm in recent years."

Investors’ worries over China’s economic slowdown and a souring view of emerging economies have rattled financial markets around the world in recent days, and showed no signs of letting up. 

“There was a huge amount of negative sentiment built in this morning,” said Dan Greenhaus, the chief global strategist at BTIG.

Many analysts have said that a correction to stock market valuations was overdue after a long bull market. And it is too early to say how the financial market slump will affect the underlying global economy where goods and services are actually produced and consumed.

Many of the world’s central bankers will have a chance later this week to compare notes and discuss whether new policy steps are needed when they gather, along with finance ministers and academics, in Jackson Hole, Wyo., for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual conference.

The lack of coverage about China’s economic woes is due to the fact that Tom Brady’s deflated footballs were deemed much more newsworthy. After analyzing a month’s worth of broadcasts, the Media Research Center discovered that “deflategate” received five times more coverage on the Big Three–ABC, NBC, and CBS, than China’s struggling economy:

In a month of coverage, from July 18 to Aug. 18, China’s economic situation was discussed for just 3 minutes and 11 seconds on the network evening news programs.

That coverage was entirely on CBS and ABC and even included a political story about Donald Trump that made a passing mention of China’s currency devaluation.

In contrast, ABC, CBS and NBC spent 18 minutes and 21 seconds on Brady’s appeal and courtroom appearances: more than five times more.China devalued its currency, called the Yuan, in what ABC World News Tonight with David Muir referred to as “a surprise move” on Aug. 11.

That send the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 200 points that day. The entire story was a mere 11 seconds long.

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The Independent - UK

TUESDAY 25 AUGUST 2015

News>UK>UK Politics Frontpage

Stock up on canned food for stock market crash, warns former Gordon Brown adviser

JON STONE Monday 24 August 2015

A former adviser to Gordon Brown has urged people to stock up on canned goods and bottled water as stock markets around the world slide.

Damian McBride appeared to suggest that the stock market dip could lead to civil disorder or other situations where it would be unreasonable for someone to leave the house.

“Advice on the looming crash, No.1: get hard cash in a safe place now; don't assume banks  and cashpoints will be open, or bank cards will work,” he tweeted.

“Crash advice No.2: do you have enough bottled water, tinned goods & other essentials at home to live a month indoors? If not, get shopping.

“Crash advice No.3: agree a rally point with your loved ones in case transport and communication gets cut off; somewhere you can all head to.”

Mr McBride credited his former boss Gordon Brown with preventing a cataclysm by nationalising the banking system during the 2008 crash.

“We were close enough in 2008 (if the bank bailout hadn't worked),” he said. “and what's coming is on 20 times that scale”.

Financial markets are unstable and periodically suffer crises which can have devastating consequences for the wider economy.

China's "Black Monday" has plunged the global financial markets into chaos.

The Shanghai Composite Index, China’s most important stock market index, was down 8.45 per cent, erasing a year’s gains in a day’s trading.

The FTSE100 fell 4.5 per cent, hoping £60bn off the price of UK shares, and the Dow Jones in the US fell by over a thousand points in its first minute of trading.

Some analysts have suggested that the stock market slide could be the start of a new global financial crisis.Mr McBride’s suggestions about stocking up on canned goods, setting rally points and stocking up on bottled water were ridiculed by some users on Twitter as over the top, however.

Mr McBride was special adviser to Gordon Brown and head of communications at the Treasury for a period during the last Labour government. 

(5)

A blog about business and economics.

Aug. 24 2015 9:59 AM

China’s Stock Market Is Melting Down—and It’s Taking Markets Everywhere With It

By Alison Griswold

Friday was a rout in the stock markets; Monday is already looking worse. The Shanghai Composite index tumbled 8.5 percent—erasing the last of its gains for the year in its biggest single-day loss since 2007. European stocks have plunged nearly 5 percent. U.S. stocks nosedived at the opening bell:

The S&P 500 fell 99.1 points or 5.03 percent, the Dow sank 991 points or 6.02 percent, and the Nasdaq pitched 335 points or 7.12 percent. There is only one word for all of this, and it is yikes. Brent crude, the benchmark for oil prices worldwide, is trading below $45 a barrel for the first time in six years. Even gold, so often a “safe haven” commodity that investors pour money into during periods of economic uncertainty, is being weighed down

Despite climbing all spring, the Shanghai Composite has now erased its gains for the year. (Yahoo Finance)

What’s behind the apparent panic in the global economy?

Mostly China.

Over the past two weeks, China’s currency fell in value more than it did in the previous two decades. On top of that, all the recent economic data coming out of China seems to fundamentally contradict official reports of the country being on track for 7 percent growth. Investors and analysts have long questioned the accuracy of economic statistics produced by the Chinese government, so seeing those figures can’t have been entirely surprising.

But it’s only recently become clear how big the gap between official reports and China’s economic reality might be. And the bigger that gap, the greater the ramifications could be worldwide. In recent years, China has accounted for up to half of global growth, though it makes up just 15 percent of global output.

Per the Wall Street Journal, China is looking into stimulus measures:

The expected move to free up more funds for lending—by reducing the deposits banks must hold in reserve—is directly aimed at countering the effects of a weaker currency, which could send more funds away from Beijing’s shores.

The moves reflect an economy increasingly failing to cooperate with Chinese leaders’ playbook to control the world’s No. 2 economy.The Journal says this could happen by the end of August or in early September, most likely via a half-percentage-point reduction in reserve-requirement ratios for banks.

Another possibility is to just loosen the reserve requirements for banks that lend primarily to small and private businesses. China’s entrepreneurs have been stifled by the risk-averse tactics of many banks, which prefer to lend to state-owned companies than private, potentially higher-growth enterprises.

Theoretically, stimulating that kind of private-sector growth would be better for China in the long run than falling back on exports, its traditional economic mainstay. (The leading theory for why China’s central bank devalued the yuan is that it was trying to prop up exports.)

At the same time, as the Journal notes, these new “would-be drivers of the economy—high technology and entrepreneurship—aren’t filling the gap quickly enough.” In the meantime, expect a lot of turbulence in the global markets.Alison Griswold is a Slate staff writer covering business and economics.

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AUGUST 22, 2015 9:00 PM  

ECONOMY GLOBAL INSECURITY (Bloomberg)

The world’s 400 richest people lost $182 billion this week from their collective fortunes as weak manufacturing data from China and a rout in commodities sent global markets plunging.

The weekly drop for the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a group that includes Warren Buffett and Glencore Plc’s Ivan Glasenberg, was the biggest since tracking of the expanded list began in September 2014. The combined net worth of the index members fell by $76 billion on Friday alone, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index of U.S. stocks ended its worst week since 2011.

“For them that’s a fractional percentage, even though $182 billion is a big number,” said John Collins, director of investment advisory at Aspiriant, which oversees more than $8 billion for high net worth clients. “A week like this feels really bad, but when you take a step back, in a big picture view it’s not a disaster by any means.”

Friday’s losses put the world’s richest 400 into the red for the year to date. They’re now down $74 billion in 2015, with a collective net worth of $3.98 trillion.

The week’s largest setback in dollar terms was experienced by Buffett, who saw his fortune drop by $3.6 billion as Berkshire Hathaway Inc. slipped more than 5 percent. The investor is the world’s third-wealthiest person, with a fortune of $63.4 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The slump in oil, which had its longest weekly losing streak since 1986 amid signs of an extended supply glut, contributed to $15.2 billion in losses for the world’s wealthiest energy billionaires. Continental Resources Inc. Chairman Harold Hamm saw $895 million, or 9 percent of his net worth, vanish this week.

Glencore’s Glasenberg

Glasenberg, chief executive officer of mining company Glencore Plc, lost $237 million during the week as commodity prices slid to their lowest levels in 13 years. Glencore reached a record low in London on Friday, down more than 8 percent from a week earlier, after the trading house reported its profit sank 56 percent in the first half of the year. Glasenberg’s fortune has decreased more than 40 percent in 2015, to $3.1 billion.

China’s 26 wealthiest people, pummeled by Hong Kong’s bear market and a weaker yen, lost $18.8 billion during the week. Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties Co. was hit hardest, losing $3.5 billion.

Eleven billionaires added to their fortunes in spite of the market turmoil. The week’s biggest dollar gainer was Sun Pharmaceuticals’ Dilip Shanghvi. The world’s 39th-richest person became $467 million wealthier, elevating his net worth to $18.9 billion.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index takes measure of the world’s wealthiest people based on market and economic changes and Bloomberg News reporting. Each net-worth figure is updated every business day at 5:30 p.m. in New York and listed in U.S. dollars.

HAPPY MERDEKA

MY COMMENTS ON MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW - NIK ZAFRI

(Commenting on one of the research published in MIT Sloan - Designing Effective Knowledge Networks)

The article is a nice complement to modules of Hi-Impact Network that I’m currently conducting. I hope that everyone in the Artificial Intelligence industry should be reading this article. It a true representation of state of the art combination of ‘management and technical’.

But the part where :

“We found that good leaders were role models, inspiring members to act, and they did not delegate work such as being online and responding to discussions. They were routinely visible — as a cohesive team — to the community”

Sounds ‘a lil bit’ rethorical (and yes, good leaders do all that)

Unfortunately I still see leaders thinking like typical managers -yet ‘hijacking’ the word leader. More system than functional.

This conventional approach is now loosing its glory as it tends to create fear rather than respect. Even when this ‘leader’ is visible, it looks like ‘checking, inspecting and auditing’ when making rounds. The ‘visibility’ is too frequent which may be misinterpreted as a signal of mistrust.

Tabulation Source - projectmanagerpad.com 

Anyway this is a very scholarly yet practical article/research.

Congratulations.

Nik Zafri

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Source : thegipster.blogspot.com

Not many decades ago, Supply and demand is perhaps one of the most fundamental concepts of economics and it is the backbone of a market economy.

But when you really analyze it (I mean really…), you’ll find that there is never an accurate equilibrium in the curves of supply and demand.

This is because, the scenario depends mostly on what type of products and services that you’re selling. If you talk about controlled items, then you can easily relate to controlled raw materials.

Now, here you can’t use the conventional supply and demand as it won’t work!

What should be highlighted is about Knowledge-Based Economy and total reduction of Productivity-Based Economy.

Now, quoting Peter Drucker Chapter 12 in his book The Age of Discontinuity – (which he has said this quite some time ago – the idea of “scientific management” developed by Taylor/Mashlup.

There is; on the other hand; productivity but it is recommended not to be mixed up together as the sole indicator for supply and demand.

There is a lot of justifications needed (which require true factual knowledge and information) to be made even in the laymen term rather than depending merely on the curves.

Thus, the information age will be ready to go for the next wave, Rules, practices needed rewriting in an interconnected, globalized economy where knowledge resources such as trade secrets and expertise are as critical as other economic resources.

Nik Zafri Abdul Majid