Category: Uncategorized

Over the past 2 weeks, the new Malaysia government had gone after Goldman Sachs (GS) very aggressively as the 1MDB scandal unravels. The latest salvo was the lawsuit to get back $7.5 billion from the bank. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-politics-1mdb-goldman/malaysia-seeks-7-5-billion-in-reparations-from-goldman-sachs-ft-idUSKCN1OK0GU It stems from bonds issued for 1MDB by GS totalling $6.5 billion in 2012-2013 which the bank reportedly…

I started going to Phuket for vacation almost 25 years ago, sometimes a few times a year even, as we had company offsites there and the bosses simply loved going there. I have seen the little island grow from a remote isolated status to a well-developed resort spot for a cosmopolitan group of people from…

As we come towards year-end, the financial markets continue to be volatile over numerous events amidst a thinning liquidity environment in Dec. Trump is blowing up big time as bad news unravels by the hour. Brexit is getting doomed, oil prices down and the China/Huawei saga is getting worse. I spent most of the week…

This week was a bloodbath in the financial markets for many. There were extreme volatility and wide swings in an illiquid market caused by multiple unexpected events. For many banks, it has been a tradition to wind down trading activities by end Nov to get ready to close their books before year end and prepare…

I was in Yangon most of this week for my monthly trips as a part-time financial consultant to a microfinance company which I started from Jan this year. My designation was the ALCO (Asset & Liability Committee) Chairman. This opportunity came along when my ex-colleague became the CEO in Jul 2017. He thought that I…

I am always a history buff when it comes to movies. Learning about things that happened a long ago (eg. Rome, Vikings) or recently (eg. 20th-century stuff) appeals to me. With new TV series exploding across the world (at least 500+ to choose from annually), there are so many choices to consider and some will…

This was a week of reflection where I had a number of good conversations with persons who were at various stages of the lives. I could relate to all of them as I had previously been there and done that. I shared with them about my experiences and how I dealt with them, with the…

Oftentimes, we have heard news about the opioid crisis in America that is causing more deaths than ever. It seems to be a developed world problem as countries like Australia and New Zealand are also being hit hard by this issue. What is the story behind this and is this the next big problem for…