I REFER to the press articles on the preliminary International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Report on the Malaysian Economy which was released on Feb 5. This report followed intense IMF annual consultations held between Jan 11 and 22 in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching.
The IMF report was politically too correct but nevertheless revealing. IMF Mission Chairman Dr Alex Mourmouras in his press release subtly suggested that the Malaysian economy faced multiple shocks including “political developments and capital outflows”. These factors reveal that in addition to external problems, there are also serious internal issues that are within our powers to control and overcome.