Asia Economy

The digital age will be heading deeper into the heart of Borneo soon – that was the message delivered by Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum in Sarawak recently. The Minister said in early December that more than 500 villages in Sabah would gain access to the internet via satellite next year as part of the “Kampung Wi-Fi” project.

As Indonesia moves into 2011 with excellent prospects for long-term growth, its place alongside giants China and India as one of the most important economies in the world is being increasingly widely acknowledged.

For the Thai economy, 2010 was a year that defied many predictions. It saw the country overcome many obstacles that could have derailed the recovery from the global downturn, though 2011 will surely present additional challenges.

The Philippines ended 2010 with a stronger economy, a new government and hopes for continued stability and expansion. Without doubt, the biggest story of the year was the victory of Benigno Aquino III in the presidential elections held at the end of May. Aquino campaigned heavily on a platform of combating corruption, improving income distribution and careful management of the economy while not reducing spending on social services.

For Brunei Darussalam 2010 was a year of consolidation and building for the future. The economy has emerged from two years of negative growth amidst the fallout from the global financial crisis, and there are projections of better things to come in 2011.

In a year when Asia was home to the fastest-growing economies in the world, Malaysia made financial sector watchers stand up and take notice on several occasions.