The best, says investment research company

PETALING JAYA: An investment research company has heralded the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) as the best economic programme to be implemented in Malaysia.

OSK Research Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of OSK Investment Bank Berhad, believes that despite all the criticisms levelled against the ETP and the challenges posited by the initiatives, the ETP was "still the best economic programme Malaysia has seen".

In a report released to The Malay Mail yesterday, OSK Research head Chris Eng said the company expected the ETP to bear fruit towards the end of this year.

"This justifies our call to acquire construction, oil and gas and banking stocks, especially in the second half of 2012," he said.

"Next year should be brighter as infrastructure investments in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), double-track and Rapid projects generate strong multiplier effects."

Eng said several key projects like the Greater KL/Klang Valley could benefit Cypark Resources and MRCB. Merger acquisitions between offshore fabricators could benefit Kencana Petroleum and Malaysia Marine & Heavy Engineering (MMHE) Holdings.

He said plans to create premium shopping outlets would benefit Genting Plantations while strategies to increase the number of data centres in Malaysia could benefit Time dotcom.

Meanwhile, efforts to make Malaysia a hub for electrical and electronics (E&E) factories would probably see Kelington Group Berhad, which was involved in supplying industrial gas systems to such plants, do well.

"Plans to increase aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities could benefit Malaysian Airline System, whose engineering arm is a leading provider of MRO in Malaysia," Eng said.

The proposal to remove the quota for Malaysian students in international schools could benefit SEGi University College and HELP International.