ALL THINGS BIG AND SMALL 2.0

  With its cool climate, flowers, butterflies and tea plantations, the Malaysian hill station of Cameron Highlands. Once the favored destination of the British colonialists, it is now a peaceful retreat for city dwellers from Malaysia as well as Singapore. I like the Tudor cottages, fireplace, English tea-time and walks by the lakeside. 

COMPARING GDP AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF COUNTRIES IN THIS REGION WITH RELATIVELY SIMILAR POPULATION SIZE* * Numbers from  www.tradingeconomics.com Attached snip of a spreadsheet compares Australia, Taiwan and Malaysia. These three countries are relatively similar in population size but their GDP, and GDP growth rate are very different because they are different types of economies at different stages of growth, impacted by different factors: 1. Australia: A mature economy, reliant on export of its natural resources and agricultural commodities. But still a force to be reckoned with. A GDP of US$1.4 trillion for a population of just 23 million- more than the GDP of Indonesia (population 250m. GDP US$889bn) Vietnam (popn 92m, GDP US$186bn) and Philippines (popn 102m GDP US$285bn) 2. Taiwan: Now a backwater because of China's rise? Its GDP of US$530bn is still larger than Malaysia's with an almost similar population size, but its growth rate is negative. Bu...