Populist policies come at a price

Big amount: The loss of RM6.3bil is due to provisioning, which is a non-cash-flow item, and a substantial amount comes from investments in MAS.

THE headline number of Khazanah Nasional Bhd losing RM6.3bil is eye-catching. However, a cause for deeper concern is the 21.6% drop in the value of its portfolio, which translates to some RM25bil.

The loss of RM6.3bil is due to provisioning, which is a non-cash-flow item, and a substantial amount comes from investments in the beleaguered Malaysia Airlines (MAS).